Sweet Dreams, Fragile Hearts
by jteamus3
Summary: Troy and Gabriella Bolton are anxious to start a family together. Sometimes, though, life doesn't quite go according to plan. Their journey begins with a dream... Stand-alone sequel to "California Dreams."
1. Christmas Dreams

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 1—Christmas Dreams**

As Troy Bolton began to awaken, he rubbed his bleary eyes, willing them to open. The morning sunlight streamed in through the French doors, and as he peeked out from beneath his eyelids, he frowned in confusion. He was in his bedroom at his parents' house in Albuquerque. His sleep-deprived mind stalled, and for a few moments, he thought he was 18 years old again. Then the woman who was curled beside him stirred, and his brain snapped into focus. He wasn't 18, he was 28. He didn't live in Albuquerque with his parents; he lived in San Francisco with his wife. That thought curled his lips into a smile, and he raised his head to look at her. Even after being married for 3½ years, and knowing her far longer, she could still take his breath away. He could feel the steady rise and fall of her chest against his side, and he watched her as she slept. The camisole she wore had slipped off her shoulder, baring her luscious olive skin. Her thick black curls spread across the pillow like a halo, and her mouth curved in a contented smile.

As Troy became more aware of his surroundings, he remembered the details of their trip. They had flown to Albuquerque late last night, after he finished his shift at the UCSF Hospital. He was nearly halfway through his second year of residency rotation, which allowed slightly more flexibility in his schedule, but taking several days off around holidays was difficult at best. Gabriella's schedule, on the other hand, was more wide open this time of year. She was on Winter Break for three weeks, which meant time off from her job as Associate Professor at UC Hastings College of the Law. She'd been working hard in the weeks leading up to the end of her third semester there, and by the end of finals week, she had been ready to collapse from exhaustion. He wished this trip would provide some relaxation for both of them, but that was unlikely. It was a short trip, which meant a jam-packed schedule of catching up with their family and friends. Hopefully, though, the special surprise he had planned would give them the reprieve they needed.

Gabriella stirred again in her sleep, and a small sigh rose from her throat. Unable to resist, Troy lifted a finger to her face and stroked it gently across her cheek. Her hand rose half-heartedly, as if swatting away a bug, but dropped back to her side. Troy chuckled and touched her face again, more firmly this time, and her nose crinkled disapprovingly. He continued to tease her with light touches until her dark eyelashes fluttered open, her brown eyes meeting his blue.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," he murmured, leaning down to place a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Mmm," she hummed as she worked hard to keep her eyes open. "What time is it?"

Troy glanced at the alarm clock behind Gabriella. "Almost 8:00," he told her. "My mom usually has Christmas breakfast cooking by now." As if on cue, the rattle of pots and pans sounded from the other side of the bedroom door.

"It'll take her awhile… I can sleep a little bit longer," Gabriella reasoned, sliding an arm across her husband's bare chest and burrowing her face into his shoulder.

Troy chuckled again, tightening his arm around her. "As much as I'd love to stay here with you, I am in desperate need of a shower. I didn't have time to take one after work because we had to get to the airport, and last night when we got here, I was ready to drop." He pulled her into a warm embrace and spent a few precious moments kissing her properly before he reluctantly released her. He crawled out from beneath the cocoon of covers, wearing only pajama bottoms, and circled to Gabriella's side of the bed. He leaned to kiss each of her eyelids. "You sleep while I'm in the shower, and I'll wake you when I'm done."

"Mmm-kay," she murmured, already burrowed back under the pile of blankets.

Chuckling, he grabbed his toiletries bag and headed for the bathroom.

.....~«ώ»~.....

When he emerged twenty minutes later, freshly showered and shaved, he was surprised to find the bed empty and neatly made. He followed the sound of laughter and found his wife and his mother in the kitchen. Gabriella was cutting fruit while Lucille poured batter into the waffle maker. Troy gave his mother a warm hug before caging his wife against the counter from behind, his hands wrapped snugly around her trim waist.

"Hey," he murmured into her hair. "You were supposed to wait for me in bed."

Gabriella giggled as Lucille rolled her eyes. "I figured your mom could use some help getting breakfast ready before my mom gets here." Lucille had invited Maria Montez to join their family for Christmas. She had flown to Albuquerque the day before, but despite the size of the Boltons' house, Maria had insisted on staying in a nearby hotel.

"In that case, it's a good thing we _didn't _stay in bed," Troy teased. "I wouldn't want Maria to think that I'm taking advantage of her daughter."

Gabriella turned in his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck and tilting her chin defiantly. A mirthful smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "We've been married 3½ years, Troy. I'm pretty sure she's figured out that my 'innocence' is long gone."

"I should hope so," Lucille interjected. "How else are we supposed to get some grandchildren?"

Troy rolled his eyes and checked his watch. "Wow, Mom, that may be a new record… You've managed to last almost 10 hours without mentioning the 'G' word. Of course, we were asleep most of that time, which makes it quite a bit harder to nag us about when we're going to have a baby."

"It's not 'nagging,'" Lucille returned innocently. "But as Gabriella pointed out, you _have _been married 3½ years. Most couples would have at least one, maybe two by now."

"Gabriella and I are not 'most couples,'" Troy argued, a warning tone thickening his voice. "I've already told you, we chose to wait until I finished medical school and the first phase of residency."

Gabriella's hands slid down to his biceps and squeezed them lightly, drawing his eyes down to hers. "I'm going to go finish getting ready," she told him quietly. He nodded, acknowledging her need to escape the uncomfortable situation, and gave her a quick kiss before releasing her.

He waited until the bedroom door closed before he turned to face his mother, his irritation evident. "I was hoping we could at least make it through breakfast before we started with the interrogation, Mom," he told her. "I understand, to a point, your obsessive need to have grandkids, but you don't get a vote in this. It's between my wife and me. Nobody else. So please just give it a rest. "

Lucille sighed. "Fine, but I don't understand why it's such a big deal. Maria and I have always teased you about having kids. What's changed?" She paused, and her eyes widened. "Is she pregnant? That's it, isn't it? She's already pregnant, and you're afraid I'm going to ruin the surprise!"

Troy shook his head firmly. "No, Mom, she's not pregnant. There is no surprise, so please, _please, _leave it alone for today."

She frowned at his insistence. "What's wrong, Troy? Is she okay?"

He ran a hand through his hair and glanced toward the closed bedroom door. "We've just started trying to get pregnant. Gabriella stopped her birth control about four weeks ago." He put up a hand to halt Lucille's excited response. "Since then she's been experiencing some nasty side effects… headaches, nausea, cramps, and fatigue. It's normal to some extent, but it's not usually this extreme. Her OB/GYN said it could take up to three months for her body to reregulate itself, but if it's not improving within the next couple weeks, she's going to run tests to see if there's something wrong with Gabriella's reproductive system."

Lucille smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry, Troy. I had no idea. Poor Gabriella, the waiting must be almost as difficult as the side effects."

"She's been a real trooper, but it's taking a toll on her," Troy told her. "I feel really awful for her, and there's not much I can do to make it better. It's frustrating."

"And you're sure she's not pregnant?" she had to ask once more. "I mean, those are the same symptoms women have at the beginning of pregnancy."

He shook his head solemnly. "She thought she was at first. She's taken several pregnancy tests since then, including one last night before we left. She was hoping to be able to surprise you and Maria with an announcement today." The doorbell rang, and Lucille took a step toward the door, but Troy stopped her with a hand on her arm. "It'll happen when the time is right, Mom. You and I both know that. But please be sensitive to Gabriella's feelings, okay?"

She nodded and headed for the door, and Troy slumped against the counter. _One mom down, _he told himself. _One to go._

.....~«ώ»~.....

As it turned out, Lucille found a private moment to share the news with Maria so Troy didn't have to. He was relieved, and when Gabriella emerged from the bedroom, she seemed to be in good spirits. She was excited to see her mother again, and the women chatted happily through breakfast. The rest of the morning passed quickly in a blur of laughter, stories, photos, and Christmas music.

After lunch, Jack drove to the nursing home to pick up his mother, who was 89 years old. She was in relatively good health, but she was terribly forgetful. She'd suffered a mild stroke nearly ten years before, and that seemed to be the cutoff point for her long-term memory. Although she could vividly remember details of her childhood, the events of the past ten years were fuzzy at best. In her mind, Troy was still a teenager. She'd only met Gabriella a few times while Troy and Gabriella were in high school, and it apparently hadn't been enough to earn Gabriella a permanent place in her memory banks. Although she'd been around Gabriella many times since then, and had even attended Troy and Gabriella's wedding, she could not remember, for any significant length of time, who Gabriella was.

When she was settled onto the couch in the Boltons' living room, Troy bent to kiss her weathered cheek.

"Good to see you again, Grandma," he greeted warmly.

"Troy, what a nice surprise!" she exclaimed. "When did you get home from college? Are you studying hard? You're not drinking too much, are you?"

"I'm done with college, Grandma," he explained patiently. "I'm a doctor now."

"You're a doctor? Oh, that's just wonderful! I'm so proud of you!" She reached up to pat his cheek, and he smiled indulgently. Then she caught sight of Gabriella behind Troy, and motioned for him to come closer so she could whisper, "And who is that lovely girl with you? Is that your girlfriend? She must be special if you've brought her home to meet the family."

"She's _very_ special," he confirmed, bringing Gabriella up to stand beside him, his hand settling on the small of her back. "This is Gabriella, my wife."

"Your wife?" she questioned. "Jack, why didn't you tell me that Troy got married? Shouldn't he finish college first? Don't you think he's too young?" She paused, staring dreamily into space. "Then again, I married your grandfather when I was 19. He was about to move across the country for a new job, and I was afraid that if I didn't marry him, I'd never see him again. Times were different back then…"

As she launched into her story, Jack motioned for Troy to come with him to bring the gifts down from upstairs. When they returned, their arms full, Grandma was telling a story about Jack's childhood while Gabriella, Maria, and Lucille listened with amusement.

When she reached the end of her story, Jack cleared his throat. "Mom, we're going to open the gifts now, okay?"

"Some things never change," Grandma chuckled, leaning toward Gabriella. "Jack used to wake his father and me at daybreak every Christmas, unable to wait to open his presents."

"Hmm," Lucille interjected. "I seem to remember another Bolton man who used to practically break down our bedroom door on Christmas morning to get us up." She looked meaningfully at Troy, and he simply grinned and shrugged, circling the couch to sit on the arm next to his wife.

"Guilty as charged," he replied good-naturedly. "It must be genetic."

Gabriella caught his eye and dropped her hand to her stomach. "Maybe this time next year…" she whispered so only he could hear.

"Maybe," he encouraged with a wink before leaning down to give her a lingering kiss.

.....~«ώ»~.....

Half an hour later, the living room was strewn with wrapping paper, and everyone chatted happily and admired one another's gifts. Soon Grandma launched into more stories, and Gabriella listened attentively. She hadn't had grandparents who lived nearby during her childhood, so she always enjoyed spending time with Troy's grandmother. Troy, who'd always found Grandma's stories rather laborious, appreciated them more as he enjoyed his wife's enthusiasm. He found himself imagining the two of them, fifty years in the future, with Gabriella telling the same kinds of stories to _their _grandchildren while he sat holding her hand, just as he was now.

As Jack dozed in the recliner and Lucille and Maria excused themselves to begin preparing the big Christmas dinner, Grandma reached out a crooked finger to stroke Gabriella's cheek. "Such a pretty girl," she mused. "Is my grandson a good boyfriend? Does he treat you the way you deserve to be treated? If not, I'll have a word with him myself."

"He's a wonderful man," Gabriella told her, squeezing Troy's hand. "I couldn't ask for anything more. I love him with all my heart. In fact… can I tell you a secret?" She leaned conspiratorially toward the older woman, and Troy's eyebrows creased suspiciously as he wondered what she was up to. "He's asked me to marry him, and I said yes!" She held out her left hand, displaying the engagement ring that Troy had actually given her nearly five years earlier. It was nestled against her wedding band, but as she'd suspected, Grandma didn't even notice the second ring as she admired the diamond.

"That's just wonderful, dear!" Grandma exclaimed happily. "Troy, good for you! Although I think you should wait until you finish college before you get married. Do you and Troy go to the same school,… um…?"

"Gabriella," Troy supplied with a smile, playing along. "No, I go to Berkeley and Gabriella goes to Stanford. But we see each other as often as we can, and I know she's the girl I want to spend my life with."

She reached across Gabriella to pat her grandson's knee. "Then you hold onto her. Someday you two will have beautiful children." Troy slipped his arm around Gabriella's waist and squeezed, and she sent him a loving smile. "I only hope I live long enough to meet my great-grandchildren," Grandma continued wistfully.

Gabriella suddenly felt guilty for deceiving the older woman, although she knew Grandma would forget the conversation by tomorrow. She cleared her throat to come clean, but Troy's hand on her back stopped her.

"Gabriella and I do hope to have kids, Grandma, and I'm sure they'll love hearing stories about all the mischief their father and grandfather got into," Troy told her. "So you'd better stick around so you can tell them."

"I certainly will," she replied definitively. "But I want you to finish college and get married before you start thinking about having children."

"Yes, ma'am," Troy answered with a wink.

.....~«ώ»~.....

After dinner, Jack took Grandma back to the nursing home, and Lucille and Maria shooed away Troy and Gabriella's offer to help with clean-up. Troy guided Gabriella into the living room and sat them both on the couch, pulling her tightly into his side. He'd noticed during dinner that she'd grown quiet amidst the gaiety, and he was anxious to make sure she was all right.

"Feeling okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah... just another headache," she answered, rubbing her temples.

"Do you want to go lay down for a little while?" he asked sympathetically.

"No, I don't want to miss anything. It'll pass." She rested her head on Troy's chest, and he gently massaged her neck and the back of her head.

Before long, he felt her relax against him, and her even breaths indicated that she'd dozed off. He rubbed her back and watched her sleep, hoping that the pain would be gone by the time she woke. When Maria and Lucille returned to the living room, they spoke in hushed tones as they watched her sympathetically.

"How frequent are her symptoms, Troy?" Maria asked, waving a hand toward her daughter.

"The headaches have been pretty regular, and she's been really run down," he told her. "The nausea and cramps are less frequent, but she's had a few bad bouts."

"Hopefully it really is just the hormonal change from quitting birth control and not something more serious," Lucille commented.

Troy nodded seriously. "Yeah, hopefully."

"What do you two have planned for tomorrow?" Lucille asked, redirecting the conversation.

Troy smiled gratefully at her. "Well, we're having breakfast with Maria before her flight leaves," he looked to his mother-in-law for confirmation, and she nodded. "Then we're going to make a quick trip to Santa Fe to visit Chad and Taylor. Then an early dinner with you and Dad before we head back to San Francisco."

"Sounds like a busy day," Maria observed.

"Yeah, I wish we had more time to spend here, but vacation days are really at a premium at the hospital this time of year," Troy commented.

Their conversation was interrupted as Jack bustled back into the house. Lucille shushed him, fearing he would wake Gabriella, but she barely stirred.

"Son, I think it's time you and I do some bonding on the basketball court," Jack invited.

Troy quirked an eyebrow teasingly. "Are you sure you're up for that, Dad? I mean, you're not getting any younger."

"Ha, ha, very funny," Jack shot back. "Fortunately, if I get hurt, I know a good doctor who specializes in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery."

"I'm not fully certified until I finish residency, so you're on your own until then," Troy told him.

"Then I guess you'll have to take it easy on your old man, huh?" Jack taunted.

"Game on," Troy replied with a grin. He glanced at Gabriella uncertainly, but Lucille waved him off.

"Go play, little boys. We'll keep an eye on her," she said. He carefully eased out from under his wife and gently laid her down on the couch, pulling a blanket over her and kissing her brow. He missed the knowing smile the mothers exchanged as he jogged toward his room to change into more comfortable clothes.

.....~«ώ»~.....

It was fully dark outside by the time Troy and Jack came in, sweaty and worn out, but with big smiles on their faces. Lucille was in the kitchen making tea, and she shook her head nostalgically.

"Some things never change," she observed. "I couldn't begin to guess how many evenings I stood in this kitchen, wondering if you two were ever going to quit playing and come inside."

Jack was out of breath, but he slung an arm around his son's shoulders. "Let me tell you, our son may not be playing on a team any more, but he's definitely still got it," he declared proudly.

"And Dad can still put me through my paces, that's for sure," Troy returned, poking Jack in the gut. "Not bad for an old man!"

"Hey!" Jack feigned hurt and tightened his arm around Troy's neck, pulling his head down to rub his knuckles across Troy's scalp.

"Ow! What's with the head rubbing?" Troy protested. "I beat you fair and square!"

He grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and headed for the living room. A few seconds later, he was back. "Mom, where's Gabriella?"

Lucille patted his shoulder. "She got sick a little while ago. Maria took her to your bedroom to help her get cleaned up."

The smile had disappeared from Troy's face. "Why didn't you come get me?"

"There was no need," she defended. "Maria took care of her when she was sick for 16 years before she met you."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have been out there playing when she needed me," he argued, moving toward the bedroom. He didn't hear his mother's response as he stepped through the door and saw Gabriella curled in bed with Maria sitting next to her, stroking her daughter's hair. He circled the bed and sat on the mattress beside her, and she opened her eyes when he touched her face.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

"Better," she answered. "My head still hurts, but I'm not nauseous anymore."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to take care of you," he told her remorsefully.

"It's okay, Troy," she replied, and then offered a small smile. "Who won?"

He grinned charmingly. "Your favorite Wildcat, of course!"

"Oh, Jack beat you?" she teased.

"Hey!" he feigned hurt, and Maria laughed at their playful exchange. "You'd better be nice to me… I still have a Christmas present to give you."

"Really?" she instantly perked up.

"Really," he confirmed with a smile. "I'm going to grab a quick shower, and you close your eyes and rest, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed drowsily.

.....~«ώ»~.....

When Troy emerged from the shower, he found Gabriella still awake and talking with her mother. Maria discreetly excused herself, telling them that she would be back for breakfast in the morning. He pulled a small wrapped gift from his overnight bag and sat back on the bed, dropping the gift on the cover beside her. She sat up and excitedly tore the wrapping off and lifted the lid from the box. Inside was two plane tickets and a reservation for New Year's weekend at the ski resort in Colorado where they'd first met. She squealed with delight, threw her arms around his neck, and showered his face with kisses.

"Oh, Troy, we're going back to Colorado!" she exclaimed with delight. "What a wonderful surprise! But what made you decide… this year…?"

He pulled her away from him and took her hands in his. His expression suddenly grew serious. "Gabriella, we've started each new phase of our life together at that ski resort in Colorado. It's where we met, and where I asked you to marry me. Now… well, we're trying for a baby, and I thought, what better place to start this next phase together than where it all began?"

Her eyes swam with unshed tears, and she threw her arms around him again. "I love you so much," she murmured in his ear. He gathered her close and kissed her deeply.

Finally he pulled away and drew back the covers, preparing to slide into bed next to her, but she halted him.

"There's a box in your closet that I need you to get," she told him.

Frowning, he pulled open his closet door to reveal a very large box wrapped in Christmas paper. When he looked back at her, she was grinning with barely-contained excitement.

"How…? You didn't bring this on the plane," he stuttered, lifting it and carrying it back to the bed.

"I had it shipped here instead of our house," she told him. "Your mom wrapped it for me before we got here."

"You little sneak," he teased. He tore off the paper, pulled open the box, and stared speechlessly at the new custom snowboard nestled inside.

"Do you like it?" she asked anxiously beside him.

"It's incredible!" he exclaimed, lifting it out and running his hands over the polished surface in awe. "Wow! I can't wait to…" He trailed off, eyeing her suspiciously. "Wait a minute, how did you know that we would be going back to the ski resort?"

"I didn't," she admitted. "I mean, I hoped… but that's why I kept it hidden until now. I did have a backup plan, though, in case we didn't…"

"What's that?" he asked curiously.

"Now you'll never know," she answered with a wink.

The snowboard was temporarily forgotten as he covered her mouth with his, showing his appreciation with the tenderness of his kiss. He broke the kiss momentarily to turn off the lights, and then slid into bed next to her, pulling her into the warmth of his arms.

"Merry Christmas, Troy," she told him lovingly.

"Merry Christmas, baby," he answered before claiming her lips once more.


	2. Silver and Gold

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 2—Silver and Gold**

_Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other's gold. __~Joseph Parry_

Troy gazed nostalgically at the New Mexico landscape as he drove northeast toward Santa Fe. The countryside to his left was dotted with adobe buildings in the Native American communities, and on the right, the snow-covered peaks of the Sandia Mountains reached toward the sky. He held Gabriella's hand across the console, occasionally squeezing it in a silent show of support. Her gaze had been fixed out the passenger-side window since they'd left Albuquerque, although he doubted that she'd actually seen the scenery before her. Occasionally she sniffed or swiped at her eyes, and his heart constricted. She'd been excited for weeks at the prospect of seeing Taylor and Chad, their best friends from high school, but dropping off her mom at the airport had dampened her mood. She'd had a difficult time saying goodbye to Maria, particularly because Maria had nonchalantly announced during breakfast that morning that her company was transferring her again, from Austin, Texas to New York City.

He raised their joined hands to his lips and tenderly kissed her hand. "Gabriella, I know you said you don't want to talk about it, but I really wish you would. It'll help to get it off your chest."

She let out a sigh. "It's silly," she said softly.

"It's not silly if it's upsetting you," he countered, stroking her hand with his thumb. "Come on, I promise not to think it's silly. I've been told I'm a good listener."

She turned to face him then, her half smile a contrast with her red eyes. "You are… unless there's a Lakers game on T.V.," she teased.

He feigned hurt, thrilled that he'd gotten her to open up. "Hey, I can listen during a Lakers game. Unless it's the fourth quarter, or the score is close, or it's the playoffs…"

She shook her head at his excuses before sighing. "My mom's moving again."

Troy waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't. "Why does that bother you, sweetie?" he asked.

She turned to stare out the window again. "I don't know. It's… When she was in Austin, she wasn't that far away from San Francisco. New York City is 3,000 miles away."

"Okay…" he prodded, giving her hand another squeeze.

"I just thought… when I get pregnant… that Mom would want to be nearby," she admitted quietly.

Troy didn't answer right away as he carefully measured his response. He had mixed feelings about Maria agreeing to be transferred every couple of years for her job. He respected her drive, after Gabriella's father had died, to work hard to support herself and her daughter. But for the second half of Gabriella's childhood, she had been uprooted and moved all over the country, limiting her circle of friends and making her susceptible to bullying. On the other hand, Maria's job had brought Gabriella to Albuquerque and into Troy's life, for which he was immensely grateful. Maria had always called the transfers a "necessity" to adequately support her daughter, but she was no longer supporting Gabriella, and yet was still transferring regularly to stay at the cutting edge of her company's brokerage team. She had enough seniority with the company that she could choose a city, accept a cushy management position, and stay put, but she'd once said that she'd find that lifestyle rather dull. She was, Troy thought, a workaholic who did not seem to notice the hurt in her daughter's voice when she called to cancel planned visits. But Troy's opinion was largely kept to himself, because although it hurt Gabriella to feel like she was second on her mom's list of priorities, she was fiercely defensive of Maria.

"Sweetheart," he began carefully, "when your mom moved to Austin, all she talked about was how she'd be closer to you and could come for visits more frequently. But she's only come to San Francisco a handful of times in the past year."

"She's busy," Gabriella noted, her voice neutral.

"So she says," Troy countered edgily.

Gabriella turned to face him. "What do you mean by that?" she asked sharply.

He took a deep breath, changing his tack. "Okay, let me explain it like this. When I was at Berkeley, I was extremely busy studying, playing basketball, and rehearsing for shows. But you never stopped being my number one priority, and when you needed me, I was there for you, no questions asked." He paused to glance at her, and she nodded, conceding the truth of his statement. "I married you because I want to be with you every day and every night for the rest of my life. When you get pregnant, I'm going to be with you every step of the way, taking care of you, telling you how beautiful you are, and making plans for our future together as a family." He paused again, biting his bottom lip as he considered his next words. "Your mom has missed a lot of things in your life because of work, and I'm… sorry… that Maria will miss out on the milestones of your pregnancy—our first ultrasound, when you start to show, when the baby kicks and turns and hiccups. But it's her choice, and frankly, in my opinion, it's her loss. I'm disappointed that you won't have your mom around when you need her, and you're not being disloyal to her by admitting that you're disappointed too."

"I _am _disappointed," she said quietly. "You're wonderful, Troy, and I love everything about our life together. But sometimes, a girl just needs her mom. We never outgrow that need for parental support and validation, do we?"

"Nope," he agreed with a smile. "But if you ever tell my parents I said that, I'll deny it."

She smiled, but then turned to stare out the window again. "It's been 17 years… but I still miss Daddy. _He _would've been ecstatic at the idea of being a grandfather."

Troy raised her hand to his lips again, turning it to kiss her palm. "I wish I could've known him."

"He was an amazing man," she told him.

"He had to have been to produce such an amazing daughter," he replied, and then chuckled. "Would he have even liked me?"

She couldn't help but giggle. "Probably not at first. He would've warned me to stay away from pompous jocks."

He feigned hurt. "I wasn't pompous!"

Gabriella leaned over to place a loving kiss on his cheek. "After he got to know you, though, and saw how happy you make me, he would've loved you."

Troy beamed at the compliment. "I can just picture my dad and your dad and me sitting on the couch, watching the Lakers, with you waiting on us hand and foot." He watched for her reaction out of the corner of his eye, and laughed when she slapped his arm.

"I would _not _be waiting on you guys hand and foot!" she insisted, and then grinned. "If the Lakers were on, I'd be right there on the couch with you!"

.....~«ώ»~.....

After graduating from Yale with a degree in Political Science, Taylor McKessie had planned to move to Washington, D.C. to seek a job as a political aide. Her plans had changed, however, when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and Taylor had returned to Albuquerque to help take care of her. She had worked as a public affairs consultant for a large firm in Santa Fe for several years, the first step in her political career. Her mother's cancer had, thankfully, gone into remission the previous year.

Taylor had broken up with Chad Danforth after high school, realizing that neither wanted to attempt a cross-country long-distance relationship. They had reconnected when Taylor returned to New Mexico, and Chad had been a source of support for Taylor as she dealt with her mother's illness. Their friendship ultimately turned to romance, and they had been married for just under two years. Chad had graduated from U of A with a Physical Education degree, and worked as a P.E. teacher and assistant basketball coach at the local high school. Troy and Gabriella were thrilled that their best friends had ended up together, and tried to keep in touch as much as their busy schedules would allow.

By the time Troy pulled his father's car into the Danforths' driveway, Gabriella excitement was back full throttle. He laughed as she barely waited for the car to stop before climbing out and hurrying up the walk to the front door. He popped the trunk to retrieve the Christmas gifts they'd brought for their friends, and then rushed to catch up with his wife. Taylor must have been just as excited as Gabriella, because she flung open the front door before her friend's finger connected with the doorbell. Matching screams echoed through the December air as the two women flung themselves into each other's arms.

"Gabi! I can't believe you're really here!" Taylor squealed.

"I know," Gabriella replied happily. "I've missed you _so _much!"

"What's with all the screaming out here?" Chad teased as he appeared in the doorway. "Oh, I didn't realize there was a Brainiacs' convention in town today."

"Chad!" Gabriella exclaimed, releasing Taylor to hug him.

"Hey, Gabs," he greeted.

Taylor grabbed Troy in a warm hug, but then took a step back as he suddenly shrieked in an impossibly high voice, "Chad! Is it really you?"

Chad released Gabriella to take up the game. "Troy!" he declared in an equally high voice. "I thought I'd never see you again!" The two men rushed towards each other and hugged ecstatically in a near-perfect imitation of their wives.

Taylor moved forward to smack Chad on the back of the head, eliciting a startled yelp, before taking Gabriella's arm and leading her into the house. "Lunkhead basketball men," she muttered loudly enough for the men to hear.

"I love you too, snookums," Chad taunted as he and Troy followed them inside.

They settled in the living room, with Gabriella tucked into Troy's side on the couch and Chad and Taylor sitting in armchairs on opposite ends of the coffee table. They made small talk for half an hour, sharing the latest news about their jobs, families, and lives. They were suddenly interrupted by a shrill cry from another part of the house.

"Uh oh, I think somebody's awake," Chad commented with a grin as he pushed out of his chair and headed towards the impatient wails.

Taylor beamed and Troy chuckled as Gabriella clapped her hands excitedly. A few minutes later, Chad returned carrying a blue bundle with unmistakable curls peeking from beneath the blanket.

"Eli!" Gabriella squealed, reaching for the baby. "Come here and see Aunt Gabi!" Chad laid the chubby infant in Gabriella's arms, and she and Troy leaned close to look at him. "I can't believe how much he's grown," she exclaimed.

"Well, you haven't seen him since shortly after he was born," Taylor pointed out with a grin. "Babies change quite a bit in six months' time."

"Oh, Taylor, he's just beautiful," Gabriella cooed.

"He obviously takes after his mother, then," Troy teased. "Definitely not his father!"

"Hey!" Chad feigned hurt. "He totally got my hair, though," he boasted.

"Poor kid," Troy returned with a grin. He extended a finger towards the baby, and Eli quickly grasped onto it, smiling as Troy wiggled it. "He's strong, too," Troy observed, then winked at Gabriella. "Must've gotten that from his mother as well!"

The women laughed, and Chad tossed a pillow in Troy's direction. His weak throw missed the target completely.

"I rest my case," Troy laughed.

"I didn't want to hit the baby," Chad argued. "Move away from Gabs and Eli and I'll show you who's weak!"

"No, I'm good right here," Troy returned, moving closer to Gabriella to prove his point.

Gabriella and Taylor made eye contact, shaking their heads at their husbands' antics, before Gabriella returned her attention to the child in her arms. As she bounced him in her lap, his face suddenly grew stormy, and he let out a lusty wail.

"He's ready to eat," Taylor declared, pushing up out of her seat and heading towards the kitchen to fix a bottle. She returned a few moments later and held out the bottle to her friend. "Would you like to feed him?" she asked.

"Absolutely," Gabriella answered with a smile.

"Here, come sit in the rocker," Taylor instructed. "He likes to be rocked while he's eating."

Gabriella lifted herself out of the deep sofa with the assistance of Troy's hand on her back, and resettled in the rocking chair. She offered the bottle to Eli, gasping in astonishment as the baby sucked like he'd been starving. "He sure can eat," she observed.

"Now _that _he gets from his father," Troy laughed.

"Okay, Hoops, let's see how badly your basketball skills have deteriorated since you've become a fancy doctor," Chad invited.

"Sure, why not?" Troy answered. "It's been awhile since I whooped your butt."

"Game on," Chad snarled. Taylor and Gabriella exchanged eye rolls as the men clambered towards the back yard.

"They never really grow up, do they?" Taylor commented.

"Nope," Gabriella confirmed. "Troy's the same way when he's around his friend Mark, ever since college."

"Oh, yeah," Taylor said. "How is Mark? Is he still dating… What's her name?"

"Kelly," Gabriella supplied. "Actually, they're engaged. They're getting married next summer."

"Hmm," Taylor mused. "The few times I've met Mark, he didn't strike me as a 'settle down' type of guy."

"He _wasn't_ until Kelly came along," Gabriella explained. "She's a nurse at the hospital where Troy and Mark are residents."

She paused, pulling the bottle out of Eli's mouth to burp him. She patted his back until two loud burps escaped, then shifted him in her arms to give him the rest of the bottle.

"You're really good at that," Taylor observed. "When are you and Troy going to…"

"Soon," Gabriella interrupted, her voice sharper than she'd intended it to be. "I'm sorry. We've just started trying. I'm still trying to adjust to quitting birth control, so I've been nauseous and crampy and just really tired for the past few weeks."

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry," Taylor replied. "That must be awful."

"Once everything levels out, I'll be fine," Gabriella continued. "It's just, the way I feel right now isn't exactly conducive to… romantic interludes."

"Yeah, but Troy's taking you to Colorado for New Year's," Taylor countered. "It doesn't get much more romantic than that."

"True," Gabriella conceded. "I'm really looking forward to it. It'll be good to get away from our crazy schedules and just enjoy being together." She paused, her gaze shifting between Taylor and Eli. "How long did it take you… I mean, when did you start trying…?"

"We didn't," Taylor admitted. "We were planning to wait a couple more years, but Eli was what Chad and I like to call a 'happy accident.' He wasn't planned, but now I can't imagine my life without him. I love being a mother."

"It shows," Gabriella told her. She glanced down again to see that Eli had finished the bottle, so she shifted him onto her shoulder to burp him again.

Taylor watched her for a few moments before taking a deep breath. "So… Our ten-year high school reunion is coming up this year… And, well, as class president, it's my responsibility to put everything together… but I was wondering… if maybe you would be willing to… you know, help me."

"Sure," Gabriella replied easily. "It's hard to believe that it's been ten years since we graduated from East High and all went our separate ways."

"Well, not _all _of us," Taylor corrected as one of the men shouted victoriously in the back yard. Gabriella giggled. "I really appreciate your help with this, Gabi. In addition to taking care of Eli, I have several clients who are running for office in the May primaries, so it's going to be a crazy few months. Here, I'll go get my notes so we can put together some plans for the reunion."

.....~«ώ»~.....

Outside, Troy pumped his fists as he scored yet another basket. "You are _so_ going down, Danforth," he taunted.

"How can you still play like that?" Chad panted. "I play quite a bit with the kids on the team at school, but you're running circles around me."

"Well, I was better than you to start with," Troy laughed, ducking as the basketball whizzed past his head. "Besides, Mark and I play a lot before and after our shifts at the hospital."

"Ah yes, Mark Davis, UC Berkeley's basketball star," Chad scoffed.

Troy laughed again. "Something like that. We help keep each other in shape." He paused, and his voice dropped. "He's been a really good friend through college and medical school, and particularly in the last year and a half."

Chad didn't need to ask what Troy was referring to. The previous year, Gabriella had been terrorized by one of her colleagues, a law professor. He'd ultimately attacked her at school, seriously injuring her before Troy and Mark found her. Her physical and psychological recovery had taken months, and she'd had to attend counseling to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"How's Gabi doing now?" Chad asked quietly as he sat in the grass next to the basketball goal.

"She's great," Troy told him as he came to sit next to him. "She still has nightmares once in awhile, but her psychiatrist released her from treatment several months ago. She's pretty much back to her old self now."

"That's awesome, man," Chad said sincerely, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder. "And how are _you _doing?"

"I'm glad she's all right," Troy replied, then laughed softly. "That's the understatement of the century! I'm _unbelievably _glad that things turned out okay. You never really know the depth of your love for someone until you have to face the prospect of losing them. I can't help but be protective of her, more than I've ever been, because I came so close to having her erased from my life. She means the world to me."

"I know what you mean," Chad agreed. "I never thought I'd get a second chance with Taylor, much less marriage and a family, but here we are. It was meant to be, just like with you and Gabs."

"Yeah," Troy agreed distractedly, his thoughts on the raven-haired beauty he'd left in the house.

"Okay, enough with the sappy crap," Chad suddenly declared, pulling Troy out of his reverie. "We've got a game to finish." He stood and then turned to offer his hand to Troy.

"Bring it on," Troy answered with a grin.

.....~«ώ»~.....

When the men finally returned inside, they found Taylor and Gabriella still in the same spots in the living room. Taylor was reading a book, and held up a warning finger to quiet them as they approached. Gabriella had rocked Eli to sleep on her shoulder, and had, in the process, also rocked herself to sleep. Troy stopped and stared at her, enchanted, realizing how perfectly natural she looked with a baby in her arms. Love washed over him, love for the woman who owned his heart, and for the baby that they would hopefully soon conceive.

"She fell asleep about twenty minutes ago," Taylor reported. "She said she's been really tired for the past few weeks."

Troy nodded in confirmation, not taking his eyes off his wife. "Yeah, hopefully things will level out soon." He glanced at his watch and sighed regretfully. "I hate to wake her, but we really need to get going. We're having dinner with my parents before our flight leaves at 7:00."

He bent over her and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, followed by one on each cheek. Her eyes peeked open, and she smiled when she saw Troy beside her. "Hey, beautiful," he greeted softly, meeting her lips as she raised them in invitation. He gestured to the baby cradled against her. "That's a really good look for you."

"Thanks. Is it time to go?" she asked drowsily.

"Yeah," he answered, gently taking the sleeping baby from her arms to allow her to stretch and then ease herself out of the rocker.

"Hey, little man," Troy whispered. "When you're ready to learn how to play basketball, you just call your Uncle Troy, okay?"

"Come on, I'll show you where you can lay him down," Chad told Troy, leading him down the hall toward the nursery.

"It's been so good to see you again," Taylor told Gabriella. "I'll be in touch about the reunion."

"Sounds good," Gabriella agreed, stepping forward to hug her friend warmly.

When Troy and Chad reemerged from the nursery, the two couples hugged and reluctantly said their goodbyes, promising each other that the next visit would be longer.

As Troy and Gabriella drove back toward Albuquerque, she chatted excitedly about her ideas for the reunion, and wondered aloud what their friends had been up to for the past ten years. Troy thought back to what he'd told Chad, and smiled contentedly. Yes, Gabriella was back to her old self, all right. And he wouldn't want it any other way.

.....~«ώ»~.....

Late that evening, Troy collected his luggage and Gabriella's from baggage claim, and then returned to the bench where he'd insisted she sit and wait for him. She'd been airsick on the plane, which was common for her on long flights, but not usually on the 2½ hour trip from Albuquerque to San Francisco. Since they'd landed she'd told him repeatedly that she felt better, but Troy could see the strain of exhaustion in her dark-rimmed eyes.

"Mark called while I was at baggage claim," he told her as he offered his hand to help her up. "They're waiting for us outside." Their friends had offered to drive them to the airport and pick them up to save the hassle of leaving a car parked at the airport. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, his concern evident.

"Yeah," she replied, soothed by his loving protectiveness. He had an amazing way of making her feel completely safe, loved, and cared for.

He laced his fingers through hers, guiding her towards the exit. "We'll be home soon, back in our own bed," he promised.

"Can't wait," she answered.

As the exit doors slid open, Troy glanced around until he spotted Mark's car by the curb. Kelly squealed through her open window, much like Taylor had earlier that day, and climbed out of the car to offer Gabriella a warm hug. Mark hopped out to help Troy put their luggage in the trunk.

"How are you feeling, Gabi?" Kelly asked when they separated. "You look exhausted."

"Long day and a rough plane ride," Gabriella explained as they all settled back into the car.

"Motion sickness," Troy added, sliding his arm around her and pulling her head down to rest on his shoulder.

Mark checked his mirrors and pulled away from the curb. "How was the trip?" he asked.

"It was good," Troy answered. "Although kind of rushed."

"Yeah," Kelly empathized. "You guys are lucky that your parents get together in one place to see you. We had two separate celebrations, one with each of our families. Good to see everybody, but not very relaxing."

Troy nodded. "We'll get to relax when we go to Colorado this weekend."

"Don't rub it in, Bolton," Mark warned. "Some of us have to work this weekend to cover your ass."

"Hey, you'll thank me when you're on your honeymoon and _I'm _the one covering _your _shifts," Troy reminded him.

"No offense, Troy, but when we're on our honeymoon, you're just about the _last _thing we'll be thinking about," Mark announced.

Kelly bounced excitedly in her seat. "We're getting married in less than six months! I'm so excited!"

"Really?" Mark teased. "I hadn't noticed."

She smacked his arm, and then turned in her seat. "Gabi, do you think you'll feel up to some dress shopping with me next week?"

"Absolutely," Gabriella said, rallying momentarily to share in Kelly's excitement before her head dropped back to Troy's shoulder. He pulled her close again, kissing the top of her head, and before long her even breathing indicated that she'd dozed off. He chatted with Mark and Kelly as they drove, enjoying the camaraderie. When they pulled into the Boltons' driveway, Mark again swung his long legs out of the car and retrieved the bags from the trunk. Troy roused Gabriella and led her inside with Mark close behind, luggage in hand. He settled Gabriella on the bed, and then turned to follow Mark back out to the porch.

"Thanks, man," Troy told him, offering a firm handshake.

"No problem," Mark replied. "That's what friends are for."


	3. Honeymooning

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 3—Honeymooning**

**A/N: This chapter is rated M.**

Troy held his wife's hand as their rental car climbed toward the ski lodge where they'd first met. That long ago Winter Break trip with his parents had changed his life forever. He thought back to New Year's Eve five years ago, when he'd brought her back here to propose to her. Next to him, Gabriella was also remembering that magical night. Troy had been so nervous, reciting his well-rehearsed speech before dropping to his knee and slipping the ring on her finger as the new year dawned. She smiled as Troy lifted her hand to brush her fingers across his lips.

"Lots of great memories here, huh?" he commented huskily, and she nodded. "I can't wait to make some more."

"Maybe we can make something more than memories," she replied shyly. She'd felt better since they'd returned from Albuquerque, and was excited by the possibility of conceiving a baby on this trip.

A cocky grin split his face. "It'll certainly be a pleasure to try!" He laughed as she blushed adorably, pulling her hand back up to his lips. "How is it possible, after all this time, that I can still make you blush?"

She shrugged. "I guess there'll always be that 'freaky math girl' part of me that can't believe a guy like you chose a girl like me."

He glanced sideways at her as he pulled into the lodge's parking lot. "A 'girl like you'? Smart, sexy, talented, sweet, strong, drop-dead gorgeous? You're right… What was I thinking?!"

She shook her head self-depreciatingly. "I'm serious, Troy. You are the most amazing man I've ever known. My life would've turned out so differently if you hadn't been a part of it. I love being married to you. I'm so lucky."

Troy pulled into a parking spot and killed the engine. He turned to face her and took her face in his hands to kiss her properly. "_I'm _the one that's lucky," he insisted. "I love you, baby." He kissed her again, and then reluctantly pulled back. "Let's go get checked in so we can continue this in private."

They got out and walked to the lobby hand in hand. Troy gave the clerk his name, and she handed him a few forms to sign. Gabriella wandered in a small circle, soaking in the familiar warmth of the lobby, but her attention was drawn back to the desk as she realized the clerk was saying things like "chalet" and "honeymoon." She touched Troy's arm, looking up at him questioningly when he turned to her. Winking, he slung his arm around her and kissed her forehead before turning back to the clerk.

"Here's my beautiful bride," he announced, and the clerk extended her hand to Gabriella.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Bolton," she offered before handing a key over the counter to Troy. "Here's your key, Dr. Bolton. If you need _anything_, please let us know. Enjoy your stay."

He turned nonchalantly and took a few steps toward the exit, but Gabriella stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Your 'beautiful bride'?" she asked suspiciously.

"You _are _my beautiful bride," he insisted. "Regardless of whether we said 'I do' yesterday or 3½ years ago."

She shook her head. "You're incorrigible," she scolded, trying to hide the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "And what's this about a chalet? I thought we were staying in a regular suite like the last time we were here."

"I never said that," he defended. "You just assumed that we would. Last time we were here, we were starving grad students with a mountain of student loan debts. Now we're professionals, making good money, and so we're upgrading."

"We still have the student loan debts," she reminded him, amused by his logic.

"Yeah, but the balance is on its way _down _now, not up." He gave her his best charming smile. "Now, no more arguments. If I feel like spoiling my wife, I'm going to spoil my wife, and you're just going to have to grin and bear it."

She laughed. "Well, if I _must_…"

"That's my girl."

.....~«ώ»~.....

The chalet that Troy had chosen was breathtaking. It was also quite secluded, set off in the woods to the side of the lodge. It was close enough to enjoy the amenities of the lodge, yet far enough away to allow complete privacy. As Troy set about building a fire in the fireplace, Gabriella pulled on her coat and stepped out onto the spacious deck. She stood there, enjoying the sight of the light snowfall against the backdrop of rich green pines in the fading sunlight. It looked like a scene from a fairy tale, and she watched, transfixed, until Troy called to her from inside.

"I'm out here," she answered, and a moment later the sliding door opened and his arm snaked around her waist.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, his breath warm on her face.

"Enjoying the snowfall," she told him before turning to face him excitedly. "Troy, let's go for a walk in the snow! It'll be fun!"

He chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Okay, but we'd better hurry before it gets dark," he replied.

After bundling into their cold-weather clothes, they set off along a marked trail that wound through the forest below the resort. The snowfall intensified, and the snow muted the sounds of the forest and the skiers farther up the mountain. They walked hand in hand, and no words were necessary as they savored the deep tranquility of the woods and the simple pleasure of being together.

As the trail turned back toward the resort, Troy noticed that one of this boot laces was untied. He took a few steps off the trail and lifted his foot onto a snow-covered log to attend to the laces. As he straightened, he heard a mischievous giggle behind him and felt a snowball connect solidly with his backside.

"Hey!" He turned, but before he could say more, a second snowball hit his chest. "You're asking for it, woman!" He declared, running for cover behind a nearby tree. Another snowball whizzed past his head as he knelt to grab a handful of snow, and he quickly packed it and lobbed it at her. Gabriella giggled again as his first attempt missed her badly, and she ducked back behind the cover of a trail marker. She balled snow quickly, collecting a cache, as snowballs hit the wooden sign she was kneeling behind. As she peeked up over the sign, she saw him running toward a wider tree on the same side of the path that she was on. She managed to hit him twice before he reached his new shelter, and he landed a hit on her shoulder just before he dove behind the tree.

There was a break in the action as they formed snowballs from the safety of their shelters. Gabriella stood to check Troy's location, and he hit her squarely in the chest, forcing an "Oof!" out of her lungs. She alternately threw, dodged, and made snowballs, laughing when his shots went wide and gasping when they hit her. She clapped and cheered every time her throws met their target.

As she knelt again to form snowballs, she suddenly realized that Troy hadn't returned fire for several minutes. She caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye and straightened just as Troy charged at her, grabbing her waist and pulling her down into the snow. She let out a surprised squeal as he rolled and pinned her to the ground. "Gotcha!" he declared, laughing heartily as she wiggled around in a futile attempt to free herself. He couldn't resist… His hands tightened on her sides and he tickled her. Her squeals and laughter echoed in the still evening as she struggled breathlessly.

"Stop, Troy, stop!" she pleaded, although her delighted smile revealed how much she was enjoying their play. Her rapid breaths produced clouds of condensation in the cold air, her cheeks were rosy, and her head thrashed back and forth as she laughed and struggled. He paused to look down at her adoringly, and his heart warmed to see her so happy and carefree. He released one of her hands and brushed a gloved finger across her cheek, pushing aside a wet curl. The air suddenly seemed to electrify, and she watched as Troy's eyes flitted back and forth between her eyes and her lips. She raised her chin in invitation, and he lowered his mouth to hers.

She was content to lay in the snow with his warm body covering hers, enjoying the kiss for a few minutes, before the mischievous glint returned to her eyes. "Troy," she murmured seductively. He pulled back to look at her… and got a face full of snow. She roared with laughter as he sputtered and wiped snow from his face. She used the distraction to try to wriggle out from under him, but quickly realized that she was no match for his size and strength. Since they'd first met at this resort, he'd grown taller and more muscular, and his adolescent body had thickened and filled out into a firm, chiseled man's body. Gabriella, on the other hand, was still small, her eyes barely meeting Troy's chin when she was wearing heels. She loved that about him, though… Being with him made her feel absolutely safe and warm and loved.

Troy quickly recovered from her surprise attack and recaptured her arms, pinning them above her head as he leaned close. "That wasn't very nice, Mrs. Bolton," he scolded. "Now I'm going to have to punish you. I hereby declare that you are my prisoner."

She squealed again as he lifted off of her and stood, offering his hand to help her up. Once she was on her feet, he bent and picked her up, slinging her unceremoniously over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"What shall I do? I've never been a prisoner before. Where are you taking me, sir?" she feigned distress, trying hard not to laugh.

"You shall be exiled to a lonely tower with only a crust of bread to eat and a scrap of fabric to keep you warm," he decreed grandly.

"Dear me," she fretted, continuing the game, "I do hope that a handsome prince will come and rescue me from my loneliness and despair!"

"Perhaps the handsome prince no longer wishes to rescue you after you so coldly rejected his advances," he countered.

"Hmm," she considered. "Perhaps I could entice the handsome prince with some advances of my own." To prove her point, she slid her hands down to caress his backside. His steps faltered for a moment, and she noticed that his pace quickened as they approached the end of the trail. "Ah," she observed. "It seems that the prince is not immune to such advances."

Her view suddenly tilted and she landed on her feet, coming face to face with the icy blue eyes of her prince. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Sweetheart, I haven't been immune to you since the night I met you, and I'm certainly willing to submit myself to the advances of my captive princess."

"Well, then, off to the lonely tower we go!" she replied, grinning mischievously once more. "And just so you know, as long as I have my prince to keep me warm, I won't be needing that scrap of fabric."

A low moan escaped from Troy's lips and he lifted her again, moving quickly and purposefully toward their chalet.

.....~«ώ»~.....

Back in the warmth of their bedroom, Gabriella was shivering through her wet clothes. Troy offered to take a warm shower with her, but she declined, telling him she'd be out shortly as she grabbed her overnight bag and closed the door. Sure enough, a few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom, her black curls tumbling freely over her shoulders, wearing a thin red silk negligee. Troy was laying on the bed waiting for her, and she instantly had his undivided attention. He held out his hand in invitation, and she accepted it, snuggling her body against his.

"I thought you said the scrap of fabric wasn't necessary," he said lowly.

"It's not," she replied. "But I thought you might enjoy taking it off of me."

"See, this is why I married a genius," he answered before his mouth covered hers. He gathered her close, molding her curves into his body, and kissed her thoroughly, cupping her face with his hands. "I want to make love to you, Gabriella," he told her when he broke away, his voice thick and husky. "I want to be inside you and make a baby with you."

She touched his face. "Yes, Troy, please. Make love to me."

His hand slid down to lift her leg over his, opening her to him, and he touched her through the fabric of her panties. He smiled at the small moan that gurgled up her throat, and rolled her onto her back to grind his erection against her. Their kisses intensified as he hovered over her, and her hands slid to his backside to pull him down and into closer contact with her. He broke their kiss to drift down to her breasts, and began to knead them through the silk. He slid the slim straps down her arms to lower her negligee and release her breasts to his tender touch. Her hands tangled in his hair as his tongue laved first one breast, and then the other.

"Mmm," she murmured, and felt him smile against her breast before his lips returned to hers.

"You like that, sweetheart?" he teased.

Troy retreated and sat back on his knees, pulling her up into his lap. His erection strained against the fabric of his boxers, and he cupped her backside to hold her against him intimately. She clung to his neck as their kisses intensified, and she ground herself against him. After a few moments, Troy laid her back on the bed and lifted her legs to pull off her panties. His eyes locked on hers as his hands gripped her hips and his mouth lowered into the damp curls between her legs. Soon their eye contact was broken as she tipped her head back blissfully and covered his hands with hers. He spread her legs farther apart and settled between them again, his eyes taking in the euphoria on her face.

"You taste incredible," he purred. "Touch your breasts for me, baby."

Gabriella did as he asked, and he had to close his eyes briefly to regain control against the sight of her pleasuring herself. He lifted her legs over his shoulders and slid a finger inside her. Her eyes flew open at the unexpected sensation. He increased his pace, adding another finger and lowering his mouth back onto her clit. He pushed her knees up to her chest and held them there, and she gripped his arms as he drove her higher and higher. She cried out as she reached her peak, and he continued to stroke her until her intimate vibrations stilled. Troy pulled off his boxers, then laid back down facing her and pulled her leg over his hips, grinning at the look of satisfied pleasure that settled on her face. When her eyes reopened, he kissed her deeply, sweeping his tongue into the warmth of her mouth.

Gabriella quickly took the lead, pushing him over to lay on his back before straddling him and lifting her negligee over her head. She rubbed her silky folds against his erection as she lowered her head to kiss him. After a few moments Troy's hands slid down to reach around her hips to align himself with her, inserting the tip of his penis into her. She lowered herself onto him as he pushed upwards, reveling in the moments when her internal muscles contracted, drawing him in and holding him tight. His hands settled on her backside to encourage her to move, and she lifted up and resettled onto him, circling her hips and sliding back and forth as she rode him.

Troy looked up in confusion as she suddenly raised herself off of him, but sunk back into the bed as she slithered down his body to settle her mouth over the tip of his penis.

"Ohhh…" he moaned.

She licked the length of him, gently cupping his sac as she swirled her tongue around the head of his shaft. He reached down to hold back her hair and watched her as she pleasured him. Her small hand circled his length and pumped him languidly, nearly driving him crazy with the slow pace. When he could take no more, he sat up and pulled her into a fierce kiss before lowering her back to the bed, laying her on her side facing him. Her leg slid over his, aligning them intimately. He grasped her backside as he eased into her again. He mimicked her slow thrusts, teasing her, before rolling her onto her back and covering her with his body. Her hands kneaded the muscles of his backside, pulling him farther into her, and his face hovered over hers, smiling as he watched her and listened to the soft moans and pants that bubbled out of her mouth.

"Troy," she gasped as his face burrowed into her neck, kissing and gently sucking. Her hands clutched the taut muscles of his back as his pace increased. His mouth returned to hers for a few moments before he sat back on his knees, holding her hips to thrust harder. His gaze shifted back and forth between her bouncing breasts and the intimate joining of their bodies. Feeling his peak approaching, he slowed his pace and lowered himself onto her again. Her hands cupped his face as they kissed, and she felt him harden even more inside her. When he broke their kiss, he grabbed a pillow from beside her and slid it under her head. Touched by the loving gesture, she stroked her fingertips across his cheek, letting him know that she was ready for more. He sat back up on his knees, gripping her tightly as his intense thrusts resumed.

Soon he laid back down on his side behind her, pulling her back against his front and her leg backwards over his leg. He slid back into her and rocked them both on the bed, his arms circling her body to hold her close. She covered his hands with hers, turning her head to initiate another steamy kiss. Their love-making quickly stole their breath, and they simply rested their foreheads together as they panted in unison. Troy's thrusts became more frenzied, and he rolled her onto her stomach and straddled her legs. Though his base instincts screamed at him to pound into her, he forced himself to slow down as he leaned over her.

"Are you okay, baby?" he asked in her ear, smoothing his palms across her silky skin. She wondered how he could summon the words to speak. All she could manage was a breathless nod. "I love you," he murmured before pushing back up to his knees, grasping her backside as his thrusts resumed. She let out a strangled cry and he lowered his face back down to hers, fearing that he'd hurt or frightened her. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her fists bunched in the sheets. "Gabriella?"

"Harder," she whispered. "Please, Troy. It's… you're incredible. I want to feel it when you come inside me and make me pregnant. "

His thrusts resumed and his moans filled the room, echoing hers. He drew back and plunged into her as hard as he could, once, twice, three times.

"Now, Troy," she begged.

"I'm not finishing without you," he told her hoarsely. He pulled out and rolled onto his back, tugging her to rest on top of him. She raised up, aligned herself, and reconnected their bodies. Her hips circled as he held her body tightly against his and thrust up into her. Their gasps turned to grunts, then pants, and as Troy felt the familiar tightening of his sac, he cupped Gabriella's face as she hovered over him. "Gabriella." She opened her eyes to meet his. "Let go, baby. Don't think. Just let it happen. Come with me. Now."

He watched her eyes widen as her orgasm overtook her, and she cried out as her internal muscles contracted and tipped him over the edge. He came and came in powerful waves, the pulsing of her orgasm squeezing him dry inside her. Her whole body trembled as she collapsed onto his chest, panting hard, and he enfolded her in his arms, rolling them onto their sides without breaking their connection. Troy's eyes drifted closed as a dreamy haze consumed him. He refocused on her when she gently touched his face.

"I love you, Troy," she told him.

"I love you too, sweetheart," he replied, unable to contain his contented smile.

She giggled. "You look…" Her brow furrowed as she searched for the right word.

"Satisfied?" he supplied. "Happy? In love?"

"I was going to say 'worn out,'" she teased, walking her fingers up his chest. "Does this mean that the princess has completed the term of her punishment?"

"No way," he grinned. "I'm just getting started."


	4. Hitting the Slopes

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 4—Hitting the Slopes**

"_I love you, Troy," she told him._

"_I love you too, sweetheart," he replied, unable to contain his contented smile._

_She giggled. "You look…" Her brow furrowed as she searched for the right word._

"_Satisfied?" he supplied. "Happy? In love?"_

"_I was going to say 'worn out,'" she teased, walking her fingers up his chest. "Does this mean that the princess has served the term of her punishment?"_

"_No way," he grinned. "I'm just getting started."_

Troy had meant what he said. Throughout the evening he'd made love to her again and again. On the floor. In the shower. In front of the fire he'd built. Afterwards, he'd bundled her up and carried her back to their bed, where they slept deeply wrapped in one another's arms.

When Gabriella awoke the next morning, still tired and pleasantly sore, Troy's side of the bed was vacant. She climbed out from beneath the mound of blankets and padded to the balcony that looked down on the chalet's vast living room. She could hear Troy moving around the kitchen below as he opened cabinet doors and rattled pans. He was singing as he worked, although from her vantage point she couldn't identify the song. Smiling, she returned to the master suite to shower and dress, humming a tune of her own.

Twenty minutes later she walked into the kitchen and found Troy at the stove. Coming up behind him, she snaked her arms around his waist, slipping her hands under his t-shirt to trace the contours of his abs. She rested her cheek against the hollow of his back, and even though she couldn't see his face, she knew he was smiling.

"Good morning," he greeted, covering her hands with one of his as his other hand tended to the omelet he was cooking.

"Yeah, it is," she sighed against his back.

He chuckled and turned, bringing her around to wrap his free arm around her shoulders. She lifted her chin to offer him a kiss, and he accepted with a smile. She tightened her arms around him again, nestling into his side as he worked. He was wearing a red Stanford t-shirt and track pants, and he smelled clean and masculine. He'd even shaved and splashed on the aftershave she loved.

"How am I supposed to bring you breakfast in bed if you aren't in bed?" he teased.

"How am I supposed to satisfy my desires when I wake up to an empty bed?" she answered cheekily.

He laughed, pulling the finished omelet off the stove and switching off the burner. Then he leaned a hip against the counter, grabbing her waist to bring her close to him. "Sweetheart, I'll be more than happy to satisfy all your _desires,_ and mine, after I get some food into that gorgeous body of yours. What kind of man would I be if I allowed my lover to collapse from hunger and exhaustion?"

"The kind of man who puts his money where his mouth is," she replied, deliberately pressing her hips against his.

"Baby, I don't know what this mountain air is doing to you, but I think I'll have to look into signing a long-term lease on this place," he told her, pulling her tighter against his body. He struggled to contain the arousal that was threatening his senses. "But first, we're going to eat."

"Fine," she pouted. An idea struck her, and she reached for a strawberry from the fruit plate he'd laid out. She raised it to her lips, and making sure he was watching, she took a slow, sensual bite. Then she raised the partially eaten fruit to his lips. He accepted her offering, biting off the remainder of the berry. A dribble of juice clung to his bottom lip as he chewed, and she raised her fingertip to wipe it off, tracing the outline of his lip along the way.

"Juice," she explained hoarsely. She started to lower her hand, but he caught her wrist, returning her finger to his lips. She smiled triumphantly as he closed his lips around her finger and sucked it into his mouth.

"Juice," he returned, his eyes blazing fire.

"Oh, yeah," she breathed. "_That's _the kind of man I need."

.....~«ώ»~.....

The morning was nearly half over by the time Troy and Gabriella made it to the slopes, although neither had any complaints about their morning activities. Troy was anxious to try out his new snowboard, and Gabriella encouraged him to make a few solo runs while she reacquainted herself with the fundamentals of skiing. It had been a few years since either of them had skied, although Troy's surfing and skateboarding skills and natural athleticism allowed him to dive back into the sport far more easily than she did. At her urging, he reluctantly left her on the bunny slopes, promising to rejoin her in an hour.

When they met back up, Gabriella smiled at the boyish excitement on Troy's face. His cheeks were red from the cold and his hair was tousled, but the smile that consumed his face sent a wave of warmth through her.

"Can I safely assume that you approve of the snowboard I picked out?" she teased as he approached.

"Absolutely! This thing is _awesome,_" he enthused. "It's great on the turns, really sharp and clean. I love it!"

"I'm glad," she grinned, lifting her chin to accept a quick kiss.

"How are _you _doing?" he asked as he slung an arm around her. "Ready to tackle some bigger slopes after lunch?"

"It's coming back to me," she told him. "You'd better watch yourself, big boy… By the end of this weekend I'll be skiing circles around you on the black diamond trails."

Troy couldn't help but laugh at her empty threat. She was hardly a thrill-seeker, and though she did enjoy skiing, he could clearly recall Maria's stories about their first trip to this resort, when Gabriella had spent more time curled up with a book than hitting the slopes.

"Game on, baby," he grinned.

.....~«ώ»~.....

All afternoon they skied together. Troy coaxed Gabriella to try harder trails, and she met each challenge with fierce determination. He snowboarded around her, alternately dropping back to gaze appreciatively at the sway of her hips as she executed turns, and dashing ahead so he could turn to see the adorable way she chewed her bottom lip in concentration.

He was ahead of her on the trail when he saw a little girl sprawled in the snow with a young woman bent over her, wringing her hands worriedly. He steered himself towards them and stopped a few feet away, careful not to spray loose snow on them. The girl, who appeared to be around 10 years old, wailed and clutched at her leg.

"Hi," Troy said as he approached them. "Is there anything I can do to help? I'm a doctor."

The woman looked up and sucked in a breath at the handsome man in front of her. She gestured vaguely at the girl, but her eyes remained on Troy. "Um, yeah… she fell… and I think she hurt her leg…"

"Is this your daughter?" he asked as he released his boots from his snowboard.

"What? Oh, no, no! She's my niece," the woman corrected. She stared at him before pointedly adding, "I don't have any kids. I'm single. My name is Jenny. What's yours?"

"Troy," he answered dismissively as he knelt next to the little girl. "Can you show me where it hurts, sweetie?"

Annoyed that he'd brushed her off, Jenny moved closer to Troy, kneeling next to him. Her niece stared up at him uncertainly. "My mom says I shouldn't talk to strangers," she announced.

"Your mom's right," Troy replied with a smile. He extended his right hand to her. "My name is Troy, and I'm a doctor. I work in a hospital in San Francisco. Would it be all right if I take a look at your leg? I promise I'll be very gentle."

The girl seemed to consider his proposition for a minute before she nodded her head in agreement. Troy pulled off his gloves to examine her, and Jenny sighed audibly when she saw the wedding ring on his left hand. She pushed back to her feet, and her eyes narrowed as she belatedly noticed Gabriella working her way towards them on the hill.

"Where does it hurt?" Troy asked again, and this time the little girl pointed. His hands explored her shin carefully as he kept talking to distract her. "I told you my name, but you never told me yours."

"It's Gabby," she told him, causing a wide smile to erupt on his face.

"Really?" he asked. "That's my wife's name!"

Gabby looked around and then gestured toward Gabriella. "Is that her?"

Troy glanced up and nodded with a grin.

"She's pretty," Gabby told him shyly.

"I think so too," he replied, leaning closer to her. "Can I tell you a secret? I've heard that girls named Gabby are the most beautiful girls in the whole world."

"Really?" she breathed. Behind her, Gabriella smiled, and Troy winked up at her. Jenny rolled her eyes.

He turned his attention back to his small patient and gently lifted her leg, pressing in various spots. "Gabby, does it hurt when I press here?" She shook her head. "Here?" Another no. "How about here?" Still no. Finally he touched a spot that made her wince. He palpated that area gently as she watched him trustingly.

"Gabby!" They glanced up to see a man coming toward them.

"Daddy!" she answered.

When he reached his daughter's side, the man knelt next to Troy. "Did you fall and hurt yourself, honey?" he asked, wiping a lingering tear from her face.

"Yeah, but Troy made it feel better," she told her dad. He turned curiously to Troy.

"I'm a doctor," he explained. "She doesn't seem to have any broken bones, just a few bruises." He paused and winked at Gabby. "Nothing some hot chocolate and cookies won't fix."

She grinned broadly, clearly as enamored with him as her aunt had been. Realizing that the handsome doctor was already spoken for, Jenny had taken off down the hill when her brother arrived, but not before casting one last glare in Gabriella's direction.

"Thanks for taking care of her," the girl's father replied gratefully.

"No problem," Troy answered. "Do you need help getting her back to the lodge?"

"No," he replied. "My wife will be along soon. The two of us can get her down in one piece."

"All right," Troy nodded. "Bye, Gabby. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," she answered earnestly. "Bye, Troy! Bye, Gabi!"

Gabriella waved, touched by Troy's kindness towards the little girl. _He'll be a wonderful father_, she thought. Troy fastened his boots back onto his snowboard and pulled alongside her, noticing the warm smile she was sending towards him.

"What?" he asked, unable to keep from smiling back.

"Nothing," she demurred, then mischievously gestured down the hill. "Jenny said to tell you that if you get bored with me, she'll be waiting for you at the lodge by the fire."

"She did not!" Troy protested, scandalized, before he saw her failing attempts to control her laughter.

"Okay, she didn't," Gabriella confessed with a giggle. "But if looks could kill…"

"Then I'd be here to resuscitate you," he filled in. "Besides, 'boring' is one of the _last _words I'd use to describe our relationship."

"Oh?" she asked coyly. "How _would _you describe our relationship?"

"Passionate," he answered effortlessly. "Deep. Loving. Strong. Hot. And I'd better stop there before I lose all sense of propriety and drag you off into the trees to have my way with you."

Her face flushed hotly. "Don't make promises you can't keep, lover boy," she teased before pushing off and heading down the hill.

"Damn," he murmured in her wake, aroused by her boldness. He bent to adjust his boot before racing after her.

.....~«ώ»~.....

As the sky darkened and the floodlights along the trails blinked on, Troy offered one last challenge.

"Come on," Troy urged enthusiastically. "Last run of the day. Let's do a black diamond trail."

Gabriella glanced up the mountain uncertainly. "I don't know, Troy. I'm finally feeling comfortable on skis again… I don't want to push my luck."

He scoffed. "Baby, you've been down black diamond slopes before. Sure, it's been a few years, but you've picked it back up like a pro today. Besides, I'll be right behind you. You'll be fine."

Finally she nodded and pointed her skis toward the chair lift. Soon she and Troy were on their way up the mountain, his arm draped comfortably around her shoulders. "So, Mrs. Bolton, how should we spend the rest of our evening? How about a nice dinner before we get back to baby-making?"

She blushed adorably and shushed him, glancing behind them to see if the people in the next chair had overheard. "Why don't you just announce to everyone on the mountain that we're trying to get pregnant?"

To her horror, he took a deep breath as if he was about to do just that. Her gloved hand clapped over his mouth, and he laughed heartily at her wide eyes. "Hey, I've had other guys giving me dirty looks all day because I'm with the prettiest snow bunny on the mountain," he teased. "I have to make sure everybody knows that you are very much off the market."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I haven't been 'on the market' for years, Troy. Besides, don't pretend that you didn't see Aunt Jenny swooning over you when you stopped to help."

"What was I supposed to do?" he defended. "Leave the girl there to get down the mountain alone?"

"Her father was on his way," she reminded him playfully. "And yes, you're a doctor, but that doesn't mean you have to be so charming!"

"Hey! I thought you liked my charm," he argued, feigning hurt.

"I _love_ your charm, just not when it's directed towards other girls," she clarified.

"Aww, sweetheart," he purred, nuzzling his nose into her neck. "Little Gabby was cute, but I'll stick with the grown-up version I already have. Forget about Jenny… you're the only woman that I want to be with, naked, in front of a roaring fire…" He grinned wolfishly at her, and she swatted him again as her cheeks flamed.

He glanced up to see that they were approaching the tower, and bent to tighten the strap on his snowboard as Gabriella readied her ski poles. When their feet connected with the snow, they stood and glided toward the start of the trail.

"Ready?" he asked, sliding a finger under her wool cap to tuck in a stray curl.

"I guess so," she answered, hoping she sounded more ready than she felt.

"Don't worry, I'll be right behind you the whole way," he told her, brushing a soft kiss across her lips. "Just take it slow, and you'll be fine."

She forced a brave smile, and then set off down the mountain. A few seconds later, she heard Troy's board scrape across the ice-crusted snow behind her. She maintained a comfortable pace on the first part of the trail, and began to breathe easier and enjoy the scenery around her.

"Lookin' good, sweetheart," Troy called encouragingly from behind her. She waved one of her poles, not wanting to risk turning to look at him as she approached the steepest part of the slope.

Gabriella quickly picked up speed on the uneven slope, and her heart began to pound as she pointed the tips of her skis together into a snowplow, trying to slow down. As she struggled, she heard shouting behind her, and feared that Troy was in trouble. She shifted her weight, trying to turn horizontally on the slope to look back, when another snowboarder shot past her in a blur. His board clipped the tips of her skis, knocking her off balance. She fought with all her strength to remain upright, but her right ski hit a patch of ice and slipped out from under her. Suddenly she was tumbling down the hill, her skis breaking away as she clawed at the packed snow to slow her fall. Troy's heart stopped as he helplessly watched his wife bounce down the rough slope like a rag doll.

"Gabriella!" She distantly registered Troy's frantic shout as she finally came to a stop mere feet from the edge of the trail. Blood pounded in her ears, and she laid on her side in the loose snow by the tree line, too breathless and disoriented to move. Troy reached her moments later, releasing his boots from his snowboard and tossing it away before dropping to her side.

"Gabriella!" he called again, relieved to see that her eyes were open. His skilled hands skimmed over her body, searching for damage. "I'm here, baby. Where does it hurt?" She responded with a soft moan, and he winced. "Look at me. I want you to follow my finger with your eyes." She did so as he moved his finger across her line of vision and watched her pupils. "Does your head hurt? Or your neck?" She shook her head. "Can you wiggle your fingers and toes?" She demonstrated that she could, and, satisfied that she hadn't suffered a spinal injury, he rolled her onto her back.

She was cradling her right wrist with her left hand, and he gently separated her hands to get a closer look. Her left glove had come off as she fell, and her palm was scraped raw from her attempts to stop herself. Troy took his glove off and eased it over her icy fingers, then carefully lifted her right hand. She sucked air in through her teeth when he pulled off her glove. "I'm sorry, sweetheart," he murmured. Her wrist was already starting to swell, and it was warm to the touch. "Do you have pain anywhere else?" he quizzed.

She shook her head, trying to clear her cloudy mind, and gazed back to her husband's worried face. "I'm okay, Troy," she answered softly. "I just got the wind knocked out of me, and I'm a little light-headed. I just need to rest for a few minutes."

"You're going to need an x-ray on your wrist," he fretted. "And probably a CT scan, just to be safe."

With effort, she pushed up to a sitting position. He moved quickly around to support her back, allowing her to lean against his chest. "I really am all right, Troy," she insisted, turning slightly to touch his face with her left hand.

"Tell me that when we're safely back at the lodge," he replied, pulling her more tightly against him and rubbing her arms to keep her warm. He noticed that she was trembling slightly, although he couldn't be sure whether it was from the cold or the shock of her fall.

Soon they heard the buzz of an approaching bobsled, and two men from the Ski Patrol skidded to a stop beside them.

"I'm okay," Gabriella told them, embarrassed by the unwanted attention.

"She needs a transport down the mountain," Troy countered authoritatively. "She's light-headed and is showing signs of shock. Possible wrist fracture."

"Troy, I'm okay," she argued again, but sensed that this was an argument she would not win.

.....~«ώ»~.....

Sure enough, a couple hours later, they waited in a triage room at the hospital for Gabriella's test results. To her frustration, Troy had _insisted _that she get a CT scan, even though she showed no signs of head trauma. She knew he was just being careful, citing the skull fracture she'd suffered the previous year, but it irked her that he was making such decisions without regard to her opinion. Sensing her ire, Troy sat silently in the corner, twisting his ring around his finger.

When the doctor came in, Troy pushed to his feet and moved closer to his wife, settling a hand on her shoulder in a silent show of support.

"First of all, the CT scan came back fine," the doctor told them. Gabriella shot an _I-told-you-so_ glare towards Troy, but the ER doctor raised his hand in defense. "I know you felt that you didn't need the scan, but if it were my wife, I would've done the same thing. Traumatic brain injuries can be very, very serious, even fatal." He gestured towards Troy. "A good doctor always errs on the side of caution, _especially_ when he cares so much about the patient." She almost expected Troy to gloat, but he simply nodded at the doctor, grateful that he understood.

"Your wrist is not broken, but you do have a moderate sprain," the doctor continued. "I'll put a compression bandage on to stabilize it and minimize swelling, and you'll need to rest and ice it for the next couple of days. Over-the-counter pain medication should be adequate to control the pain. Since your injury falls under Dr. Bolton's area of expertise, I trust that you will be well cared for."

She glanced up at Troy, surprised by the tight line of his mouth. Her frustration began to fade as she realized how worried he'd been. "Thank you, doctor," she told the ER physician quietly.

After her wrist was wrapped and she was discharged, Troy settled her back into the car and slid into the driver's seat. He started the engine, but didn't put the car in gear. Finally, he turned to her.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time.

"Why are you sorry?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"I'm sorry for getting upset with you. You were just trying to take care of me," she told him.

"Gabriella, I'm sorry for being so insistent about making sure you were okay," he replied earnestly. "It's just… when I saw you falling, my heart stopped. I was so worried…"

"I know, Troy," she told him, reaching for his hands. "I'm sorry for worrying you…"

"_I'm _sorry for talking you into going down that trail when you weren't ready," he said miserably. "It's my fault…"

"Stop," she insisted, lifting his face to look at her. "It's _not_ your fault. I won't let you blame yourself."

"But…" he began, but she covered his lips with her finger.

"Don't argue with a lawyer," she smiled. "It won't do you any good."

He returned her smile. "What if I use my irresistible charm?"

"Let's make a deal," she negotiated. "No more apologies, and when we get back to the chalet, you can unleash the full power of your charm on me."

"But you're hurt," he protested.

"Eh," she waved it off. "What were you saying earlier about being naked in front of a roaring fire?"

"Gabriella," he began, but then paused, unsure of whether to argue or give in. He wanted to protect her, but if she insisted she was fine…

Grinning broadly, he threw the car into gear and headed for the hills.


	5. Start of Something New

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 5—Start of Something New**

The next day, New Year's Eve, Gabriella was uncomfortably sore from her fall on the slopes. Troy coaxed her into the hot tub to ease her aching muscles, and then rubbed antibiotic cream into the scrapes on her left hand and made an ice pack for her injured right wrist. After she was finished icing it, Troy reapplied the compression bandage… or at least _attempted _to reapply the compression bandage. She giggled when he unwrapped it after his third attempt.

"Troy, how many times have you wrapped patients' sprains?" she asked.

He glanced up at her. "Patients'? A bunch. Yours? Never."

She frowned. "What's the difference?" He started to wrap again, but she covered his hands with hers. "Troy?" she persisted.

"I just want to make sure I get it right," he sighed.

"How many tries does it usually take you to wrap sprains at the Sports Medicine Clinic?" she asked.

"One," he admitted.

"Is that because you don't take the time to get it right with your patients?" she pressed.

"No, I get it right with my patients. I'm just more… responsible… for you," he mumbled.

She smoothed her fingers along the stubbled line of his jaw. "Troy, it's not your fault that I fell. Now, I want you to demonstrate your amazing medical skills and wrap my wrist. If you get it right on your first try, I'll give you a kiss. I bet that's an offer you don't usually get from your patients!"

He looked down to hide his smile. "Well, once in awhile. But I only let the really cute ones do it…"

"Troy!" she exclaimed, scandalized.

"Just kidding, sweetheart," he laughed, sending her a charming wink. "These lips are reserved exclusively for you."

.....~«ώ»~.....

That afternoon, after a great deal of persuasion, Troy went out to snowboard alone for a few hours. As much as he'd argued against leaving Gabriella behind, she'd been equally insistent that she was perfectly capable of entertaining herself in his absence. She'd brought a couple of books to read, and he'd teased her about her spending this New Year's Eve the same way she had eleven years before.

Troy went through his first few runs with a bit of a guilty conscience, but soon the thrill of navigating the trails on his new snowboard took over, and he had to admit that he was enjoying the full-throttle pace that he could only maintain when he was by himself. As he prepared to ride the chair lift back up the mountain, he was only vaguely aware that someone had moved up beside him. It was not unusual for strangers to pair up on the chair lift when they didn't have a partner to ride with, and Troy had had various seatmates throughout the afternoon. Some chatted companionably, and some stared silently at the scenery. This particular partner, however, knew his name.

"Well, well, Troy, fancy meeting you here," she cooed just after they settled onto the moving lift.

For a brief moment, Troy considered jumping off, but they were already several feet off the ground. "Jenny," he replied neutrally.

"How sweet, you remembered my name," she replied, scooting a bit closer to him. "I didn't think you'd noticed me at all yesterday."

He ignored her insinuation and kept his gaze fixed on the chair lift in front of them. "How's your niece doing?" he asked instead.

Jenny waved her hand dismissively. "She's fine. Nothing broken. She's a bit of a drama queen, I'm afraid."

Troy resisted the temptation to point out that the "drama queen" label also fit the woman next to him, and commented instead, "I'm sure the fall frightened her more than anything. She's a sweet little girl."

Jenny started to say something else, but just then the chair lift lurched to a stop, and she shrieked dramatically, proving Troy's "drama queen" assessment, as she clutched his arm tightly in poorly feigned terror. He clenched his teeth, fighting the urge to yank his arm from her grasp.

"Is the lift broken?" she asked, her voice shrill. "Are we going to be stuck up here all night?"

_Over my dead body, _Troy answered silently as he assessed the distance to the ground below them. Out loud he replied, "I'm sure it's not broken. Someone probably just fell getting on or off, and they had to stop the lift to help them." As if to prove his point, the lift started moving again, but Jenny did not relinquish her hold on Troy's arm. In fact, her hand curled tighter around his biceps.

"Wow, you're really strong," she commented breathily. It was ridiculous… there was no way she could feel his muscles through his thick parka and her insulated gloves. "You're not built like any doctor I've ever seen."

Annoyed, Troy uncurled her fingers from her arm and scooted away from her. "Jenny, you know I'm married. You saw my wife yesterday."

"But she's not here today, is she?" Jenny persisted.

"She took a bad fall on one of the trails last night," he told her. "She sprained her wrist, so she's resting today."

"And you're out snowboarding all by yourself," she observed, moving closer to him again.

"At her insistence," he replied. "I don't get to snowboard too often, so she didn't want me to miss out on the opportunity. She's a very special woman."

"I'm pretty special too," Jenny purred as she reached for his arm again.

Troy's thread of control snapped. "Stop! You're making a fool of yourself. I'm trying to be polite, but I'm obviously not getting through to you. _I am married_. I am absolutely committed to my wife and our marriage, and I am _not interested _in you. I've been in love with Gabriella since I was 17 years old. We met here, at this ski resort, and she's owned my heart ever since. I would never betray her trust or do _anything _to jeopardize what we have together. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," Jenny muttered, turning away from him and staring vacantly at the landscape.

Satisfied, Troy stared ahead, silently willing the lift to move faster so he could get away from this woman. He sighed with relief when he saw that they were approaching the lift station. As soon as his snowboard connected with the packed snow, he took off, never looking back.

.....~«ώ»~.....

After his encounter on the ski lift, Troy was more than ready to get back to Gabriella. He made his way back to the chalet, stomping snow off of his boots before he entered. She was no longer on the couch where he'd left her, and as he looked around the first floor for her, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned and was stunned to see Gabriella descending the stairs from the master suite, beautifully decked out in a teal green dress. The design of the dress was simple; its only ornamentation was a diagonal ridged design on the neckline that ascended onto the single strap over her right shoulder. She lifted the floor-length hem as she navigated the staircase, revealing black heels. The material of the dress fitted smoothly over her curves, and when she came to the bottom of the stairs, Troy reached for her hips immediately.

"Damn, woman, what are you trying to do to me?" he growled.

"Seduce you," she answered cheekily. "How am I doing?"

"You win," he answered hoarsely, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm all yours."

"Good," she grinned. "We have a New Year's Eve party to go to."

Troy groaned. "You expect me to go out in public with you in that dress and behave like a gentleman all evening?" He groaned again when she nodded happily. "I didn't bring anything to wear to a party."

"I brought a suit for you," she replied. "It's laid out on the bed, ready for you to slip into." She moved closer, so that her breath caressed his cheek. "Just like I will be tonight when we get back from the party."

It took every ounce of Troy's self control to keep from making that mental picture a reality then and there. Instead, he hauled her tight against his body so she could feel the erection her appearance had caused. He studied her more closely without the visual distraction of her dress. Her curls hung loose, draped casually over her bare left shoulder. Her makeup was subtle, emphasizing her sparkling brown eyes and lush pink lips. Those lips were a temptation he couldn't resist, and he lowered his head to taste them. He kissed her hungrily until she stepped back, the flush of her cheeks betraying her own arousal.

"Go on, get ready," she murmured. "Otherwise, we'll never make it out of here before midnight."

He kissed her again, sweeping his tongue along the outline of her lips. "Just so you know, this time, I'm going to do what I didn't have the guts to do eleven years ago," he told her. "Kiss you at midnight."

"You'd better be prepared to do a whole lot more than that," she replied saucily.

"You'll just have to wait and find out," he replied, rubbing against her sensually. When a soft moan bubbled up her throat, he tore himself away and turned to run up the steps two at a time. It would undoubtedly be a night to remember.

.....~«ώ»~.....

After an intimate dinner in one of the resort's restaurants, they made their way to the New Year's Eve party in the ballroom, grinning impishly at one another as they passed the teen party on their way. Once inside the adults' party, Troy squeezed his wife's hand.

"Dance with me," he said softly. She nodded in agreement, and he led her toward the dance floor, pulling her close once they found a spot in the crowded area. They swayed together, lost in the moment, as song after song poured from the speakers. A familiar song came on, and Troy lowered his mouth to her ear, his lips brushing her silky skin as he sang to her. The recorded vocals harmonized with his warm tenor voice, and Gabriella felt chills prick her skin. She was in heaven, in the arms of the man she loved, receiving her own private serenade. He looked devastatingly handsome in his dark suit, and the scent of his aftershave, mixed with the smell that was uniquely Troy, threatened to overload her senses. A shiver went down her spine, and Troy pulled back a bit to look at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Perfect," she murmured, combing her fingers through the hair on the back of his neck. "Right now, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be."

"I can't think of any_one _I'd rather be with," he replied softly. His fingertips traced a line along the bare skin of her back. "Gabriella, you're… simply exquisite."

She lifted her chin in invitation, and Troy lowered his head to kiss her tenderly. Her knees grew weak, and she was glad for the supportive strength of his arms around her. When their lips parted, he smiled down at her and began swaying again with the music. She nestled her head against his chest, listening to the soothing sound of his heartbeat.

The soothing beat was soon drowned out, however, as a fast song came on and a loud, distorted bass line pounded through the speakers.

"Do you want to go get a drink?" he nearly shouted to make sure she heard him. She nodded, and he took her hand to lead her off the dance floor. They found an empty table against the wall, and Troy seated Gabriella before settling into the chair next to her. He frowned as he noticed that as she glanced around the crowded room, she was absent-mindedly cradling her bandaged wrist. He lifted it gently into his lap, rubbing soothing circles as he searched her face.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you when I got back from snowboarding," he began. "You sort of distracted me." She smiled, and he went on. "How's your wrist feel?"

"It's stiff and sore," she confessed. "I forgot to take pain medicine in all the excitement of getting ready for the party, so it's hurting at the moment."

"You should've said something sooner," he chided as he pushed to his feet. "I'll go get you a drink, and ask the receptionist for some pain meds. You just sit here and look beautiful, and I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Okay," she agreed, knowing that he would not enjoy the rest of the evening if he knew she was in pain. He moved out into the wide hallway where the food and drinks were set up, and Gabriella closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall behind her. She hoped that the pain medication Troy was bringing would ease the headache that had been bothering her for the past few hours.

Gabriella heard movement on her side, opposite where Troy had been sitting. She peeked an eye open and had to squelch the sigh that rose from her chest.

"Jenny," she acknowledged. "How's your niece doing?"

"Fine," the other woman answered tightly, glancing around. "Where's Troy?"

"He went to get me a drink," Gabriella told her wearily.

With her eyes closed, Gabriella didn't see the devious grin that spread across Jenny's face. "It's a shame that you got hurt and couldn't ski today," she commented nonchalantly. "Don't worry, though… I kept Troy company."

Jenny had hoped for a dramatic reaction, but Gabriella simply opened her eyes and tipped her head forward to look across the table. "Oh?" Gabriella asked, nonplussed.

"Yeah," Jenny went on. "We were ski lift partners. The lift even broke, and we were stuck there for awhile. I was scared, but Troy kept me calm. He's so brave. And handsome, too."

Gabriella calmly watched her as she rambled, and when Jenny finally ended her twisted version of the events of that afternoon, Gabriella leaned forward, flattening her hands on the table. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

Jenny smiled sweetly. "I just thought you might like to know what your husband was up to this afternoon."

Gabriella sighed. "Jenny, I don't need a report of Troy's activities when I'm not with him. He and I have been together for a long time, and he's never given me any reason to mistrust him. I know he's a very attractive man. You're not the first woman to take an interest in him, and I'm sure you won't be the last. But I learned long ago that Troy is a man of his word, and that includes the commitment he made to me. He is a loving, devoted husband, and I trust him completely."

Realizing that she was getting nowhere, Jenny stood to leave, but stopped abruptly as she saw her niece weaving through the crowd with Troy right behind her. "Gabby, what are you doing in here?" Jenny asked. "You're supposed to be at the kids' party with your mom."

"She was," Troy answered from behind her as he looked suspiciously between Gabriella and Jenny. "I popped in and she spotted me, and wanted to come say hi to 'the other Gabi.'"

Gabby nodded enthusiastically and circled the table to hug Gabriella warmly. "Hi, Gabby," Gabriella smiled. "How's your leg feeling?"

"Good," Gabby responded. "Troy said you got hurt too." Gabriella nodded, holding up her bandaged wrist. Gabby reached out and touched it gingerly. "Did Troy help you like he helped me?"

"He did," Gabriella nodded, smiling at Troy across the table. She leaned closer to Gabby and confided, "He's a really nice doctor, isn't he?"

"Yeah, I like him," Gabby agreed with a grin. "So does Aunt Jenny. She said…"

Jenny, who had been watching the exchange in silence, suddenly lunged for her niece, hauling the girl into a tight hug. "Okay, Gabby, I think we'd better go find your mom and dad. It's getting late."

Gabby agreed, and with a wave to Troy and Gabriella, she took her aunt's hand and headed for the exit. Troy took his place next to his wife, handing her a champagne glass. She eyed the bubbly liquid uncertainly.

"Troy, I don't know if I should drink this," she said. "What if I'm… I mean, maybe I shouldn't be drinking alcohol, just in case…"

"It's sparkling cider," he told her with a wink. "So is mine. Just in case."

Her brows creased. "Why didn't you get champagne for yourself? I'm _sure _you're not pregnant!"

"I didn't want to get the glasses mixed up and give you the wrong one," he answered easily. "Besides, I want to be 100% sober to remember everything about this night with you." He chuckled as a cute blush warmed her cheeks. "By the way, what were you and Jenny talking about?"

Gabriella shrugged. "She came over to inform me that she kept you company in my absence this afternoon."

Troy set his glass down hard. "That's ridiculous! Nothing happened! Gabriella, you know I would _never…_"

She stopped him with a hand on his arm. "I know, Troy. I trust you, and that's exactly what I told her. She was just trying to get a reaction from me. "

"I have half a mind to go tell her…" he trailed off, not even sure what he wanted to tell her. Whatever it was, though, it wasn't nice.

Gabriella hid her mischievous smile. "Oh, so you _do _want to talk to her again," she accused.

"No, that's not what I meant," Troy said defensively before noticing the laughter in her eyes. He leaned over and squeezed her side, eliciting a squeal as he found a ticklish spot.

"Little Gabby doesn't need to hear what you think of her scheming aunt," Gabriella pointed out. She paused thoughtfully. "What were you doing at the kids' party, anyway?"

Troy grinned. "I went to see if the DJ had a certain karaoke song on his computer."

"_Start of Something New_?" Gabriella asked excitedly.

"Yeah," he admitted, experiencing an uncharacteristic moment of shyness.

"And did he have it?" she prompted.

He smiled again. "He said he didn't have his Oldies disc with him."

"Oldies?" she retorted, and Troy couldn't help but laugh at her outrage.

"Well, it _has _been eleven years, sweetheart," he pointed out, reaching sentimentally for her hand.

"Eleven _good _years," she amended softly, touching the ring on his finger.

"I'll drink to that," he agreed.

.....~«ώ»~.....

With the help of the medication, Gabriella's pain was soon forgotten, and they spent the evening dancing, talking, and enjoying one another's company. As midnight approached, Troy briefly disappeared, returning a few minutes later with Gabriella's coat and fresh glasses of sparkling cider. He helped her into her coat and then took her hand and led her out onto the massive deck. They found an unoccupied area, and Gabriella walked to the railing, looking out over the snow-covered mountain landscape. She smiled when Troy's arms circled her, and she reached up to grip his forearms. His warm breath brushed against the side of her face.

"This could be the start of something new, it feels so right to be here with you," he sang, turning her in his arms. "And now, looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart the start of something new."

Unexpected tears pricked her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to kiss her. When they separated, he brushed his fingertips over her cheeks, tenderly wiping away her tears. "Does this mean you're not going to sing with me?" he teased.

As she laughed, they heard the countdown to midnight around them, and they enthusiastically joined in. True to his word, when shouts of "Happy New Year!" filled the air, Troy mouth descended onto Gabriella's, and he kissed her deeply. When they parted, she cupped his cheeks in her hands.

"I love you, Troy Bolton," she told him earnestly.

"I love _you, _Gabriella Bolton," he answered. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year," she replied with a smile.

He released his hands from her waist long enough to retrieve the champagne glasses beside them, and handed one to her. "Here's to a year of happiness, love, laughter, and…" he paused significantly, glancing down at her abdomen before returning his intense gaze to her eyes. "New beginnings."

"The start of something new," she added softly.

Their glasses clinked together and they drank to the new year ahead of them. They shared a cider-flavored kiss, and then headed back to the chalet for their own private celebration.


	6. Turbulence

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 6—Turbulence**

Late in the afternoon on New Year's Day, Troy and Gabriella flew home to San Francisco. Hoping to avoid the airsickness that had plagued Gabriella on the last several flights they'd taken, Troy gave her a dose of motion sickness medicine to keep her comfortable. Consequently, she spent the majority of the three hour flight asleep, with her head in Troy's lap. He watched the landscape out the window as he idly stroked his hand through her thick curls, but as they neared their destination, the clouds below them grew thick and dark. The seatbelt light blinked on, and the pilot's voice came over the intercom, advising them that they would be experiencing some turbulence. Troy glanced out the window again, and then down at his wife, remembering that she'd undone her seatbelt so she could stretch out more comfortably. His hand dropped to her shoulder, preparing to rouse her, when the plane suddenly shuddered and her eyes flew open.

"What's going on?" She sat up quickly, her eyes scanning the cabin for trouble.

"We're flying into a storm," Troy told her calmly. "Put your seatbelt on."

Gabriella was not terribly fond of storms, and that, coupled with her adverse reaction to flying under _normal_ circumstances, caused her to grip her right armrest tightly. Since Troy had raised the armrest that divided their seats, her left hand gripped the next best thing: his thigh.

"Hey, hey, take it easy," he soothed, covering her hand with his as he pried her fingernails out of his flesh. "We'll be fine." He laced his fingers through hers to protect his leg from further damage, and gestured out the window. "We're almost to San Francisco. Once we descend below the storm clouds, we'll be home free."

She didn't answer, but squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face into his side as the aircraft swayed and rocked in the wind.

"It's okay, Gabriella," he comforted, though he couldn't stop the chuckle that rose from his throat.

"Are you laughing at me?" she demanded.

"Never," he fibbed, tucking her head back into his body so she couldn't see his failing attempts to stifle his grin. The plane continued to rattle and bounce, and she nearly jumped out of her skin when lightning streaked past the window. Another chuckle slipped out.

She sat up to glare at him. "It's not funny, Troy," she insisted, trying to pull her hand from his indignantly.

He refused to relinquish his grip on her hand, and turned on the full force of his charm. "I know, baby, you're right. I'm sorry." He smiled his heart-melting smile at her, and she couldn't stay upset with him. Especially when _he _suddenly turned an unflattering shade of green and reached for the airsick bag in front of him.

Abruptly the tables were turned, and she sat up to help him. Temporarily forgetting her own fears, Gabriella ran her fingers sympathetically through the sweaty hairs on the nape of his neck as Troy leaned forward, groaning, holding the bag to his face. Somehow he managed to ride out the turbulence without losing his dinner, and they both sighed with relief when the plane broke through the clouds and descended toward the runway.

Once they were safely on the ground and taxiing toward the gate, Gabriella couldn't resist the urge to tease him. "Isn't there some expression about 'she who laughs last'?" she questioned with a coy grin.

Troy nodded slowly, still clutching the bag in his hands even though his nausea had passed.

"Yeah, so who's laughing now, flyboy?" she giggled.

"You are a cruel, heartless woman, Gabriella Bolton," he teased, his eyes twinkling as his face gradually returned to its normal tanned hue.

"But you love me anyway," she replied.

"That I do, sweetheart," he answered easily, draping an arm around her shoulders. "That I do."

.....~«ώ»~.....

Troy wanted to make sure that Gabriella's wrist was healing properly, so when he returned to work the next day, he scheduled an appointment for her at the hospital's sports medicine clinic. He was on rotation in a different part of the hospital, but she met up with him in the cafeteria for lunch with Mark and Kelly. Troy grinned broadly when he spotted her weaving her way towards them, and pushed to his feet to take her tray from her hands. After he deposited her food on the table, his arms circled her waist and he gave her a lingering kiss on the cheek.

Mark snorted. "Geez, Bolton, I know you two just got back from your romantic mountain retreat, but some of us are trying to eat here!"

Kelly linked her arm through her fiancé's. "Hush, Mark. I think they're adorable. Would it kill you to admit it once in awhile?"

"It might," he argued. "Don't forget, I've had to witness all their lovey-dovey interactions since college."

Troy pulled out Gabriella's chair for her before reclaiming his seat next to her. He cleared his throat, his cough sounding suspiciously like the word "jealous," and winked at his wife.

"How's your wrist, Gabi?" Kelly asked, deftly changing the conversation as Mark glared at Troy.

Gabriella held up her newly-rewrapped wrist. "Dr. Overman agreed with the initial diagnosis and said to keep doing what I'm doing. He said Troy could do a few strengthening exercises with me once the swelling goes down." She leveled her gaze at Troy. "See, I told you it was fine."

He shrugged. "It's always better to be safe than sorry, especially when you're involved," he told her, lifting her hand to his lips for a light kiss. "And if I'm going to be doing your physical therapy, you'd better be nice to me!"

Gabriella pretended to consider that. "Hmm… Maybe I should go back and tell Dr. Overman that my physical therapist is threatening me. I'm sure he'd be willing to assign me to a different therapist." She smiled sweetly at Troy. "Then I can pick on you all I want!"

"Unbelievable!" Troy protested lightly. "I take you to a romantic chalet in the mountains, and _this _is the thanks I get?"

"Sorry, honey," she apologized, biting her bottom lip to try to hide her smile. "I know it was a big sacrifice for you, having to bite the bullet and go snowboarding."

Kelly picked up where Gabriella left off. "Yeah, and I'm sure all the sex was a major chore as well."

Troy actually reddened a bit, and the women got a good laugh at his expense. Mark simply rolled his eyes at their banter.

"You guys are both off next Saturday, right?" Gabriella rescued Troy by changing the subject.

"Yeah," Mark answered first. "I was just telling Troy about an alumni event they're having at the U.C. Berkeley basketball game next week. We're totally going!"

Troy put up a halting hand. "I hadn't agreed to anything yet," he told Gabriella with a wink. "Why? Were you hoping to subject me to another weekend of unbridled passion?"

This time Gabriella blushed as Mark made obnoxious gagging noises from across the table. "Kelly and I were talking about going wedding dress shopping," she told him.

Mark grinned. "Perfect! You two can do your girly, frou-frou stuff while Troy and I party and relive our glory days."

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Your 'glory days'? Please!" she scoffed. "Besides, that 'girly, frou-frou stuff' is for _our _wedding, and if you can't behave yourself while I'm gone, then you're going with me!"

"Ooh!" Troy taunted, earning a withering look from Mark. "The basketball game sounds like fun," he added with a look towards his wife, "but I think I'll pass on the drunken reveling afterwards."

"Boring!" Mark coughed into his fist.

Kelly folded her arms and leaned forward. "Mark, if you plan to continue carrying on like a college frat boy once we're married, then perhaps you should stay single. "

Mark contritely reached over and took his fiancée's hand. "I'm sorry, babe. You're right." Then he couldn't help but add a mischievous aside: "That means I still have five months to party…"

Kelly managed to glare at him for only a few seconds before they both dissolved into laughter.

.....~«ώ»~.....

Later that afternoon, Troy was standing at the nurses' station, adding notes to a patient's chart, when someone sidled up next to him. Glancing up, he saw Carl Rogers, a resident at the hospital who Troy was not particularly fond of. He was a trouble-maker, and his obnoxious personality grated on Troy's nerves. Troy gave him a polite nod before bending his head back to his paperwork.

"Saw your wife here for lunch today, Bolton," Carl began.

"Yep," Troy agreed without lifting his head.

"She can't get enough of you, huh?" Carl continued. "Or do you just prefer to keep her on a short leash?"

"She was here for an appointment," Troy replied evenly, knowing Carl was just trying to incite a reaction from him. "My wife is free to come and go as she pleases."

"Man, if I was married to a woman like her, I'd never let her out of the house alone," Carl continued.

"Well then, it's a good thing you're not married," Troy told him. "And the female population thanks you as well."

Carl's eyes narrowed, but he kept his voice level. "Heard you went to Colorado this past weekend. Romantic getaway for the Boltons?" he asked.

"Something like that," Troy answered.

"Dude, you sure have to go to some elaborate lengths to screw your wife," Carl observed cockily.

"Excuse me?" Troy asked, dropping his pen and leveling his gaze on the other man.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd certainly say she's worth the effort," Carl continued to push. "But if that's what it takes to get her legs open, you'd better think about getting a second job to be able to afford it."

Troy's anger boiled to the surface, his fists clenching at his sides. He took a step toward the other doctor. "Say what you want about me, I don't care. But if you keep talking about my wife like that, then you and I are going to have a serious problem. My marriage is none of your concern, and I'm not going to stand here and allow you to degrade Gabriella like that."

Carl raised his hands in poorly-feigned innocence. "Sorry, Bolton, I wasn't trying to raise your hackles. Just curious, that's all."

Troy scoffed. "Whatever, Rogers. I'll see you later." With that, he dropped the clipboard onto the desk and strode away before he did something he'd regret.

Behind him, Carl grinned with self-satisfaction, knowing he'd gotten under Troy's skin. That, in Carl's opinion, made it a very good day.

.....~«ώ»~.....

The following Saturday, Kelly and Gabriella picked their way through three bridal shops before Gabriella insisted that they take a lunch break. Dress shopping with Kelly was not easy. She didn't have a clear idea of what she wanted, but she was _very _sure about the things she _didn't _want. Gabriella was beginning to wonder if a dress that met Kelly's standards even _existed. _Kelly, who was normally a laid-back, go-with-the-flow kind of girl, was in danger of becoming a Bridezilla. Kelly's and Mark's families lived in northern California, so Kelly's mother helped with the wedding planning in spurts, whenever she could squeeze out a free weekend to come to San Francisco. On days like this, Gabriella couldn't help but think that Kelly's mom had the best of both worlds that way. _Stop it, _she chided herself. _At least her mom is willing to help. _Maria Montez had been in Chicago when Troy and Gabriella were planning their wedding, and had done little to help other than provide some financial assistance.

The women stopped for lunch at a nearby deli, and as they found a seat and tore into their meals, Gabriella was relieved to note that Kelly had relaxed considerably.

"I swear, Gabi, I don't know how you planned a wedding by yourself," Kelly commented. "I'm exhausted already, even with you and Mom and Mark's mom helping."

"Troy helped some with ours," she replied.

"If Troy's 'help' was anything like Mark's, then you _did _plan the wedding by yourself," Kelly persisted. "While you were finishing law school, too. That's pretty impressive."

Gabriella shrugged. "Troy was going to medical school and working to pay his tuition. We did what had to be done."

"Well, I'm glad to have the benefit of your expertise," Kelly responded. "In fact… Well, I've been meaning to ask you if you'd be my matron of honor."

Gabriella's head snapped up from her food. "Are you serious?" she asked. "What about Mark's sisters? Or your friends from back home?"

Kelly laughed. "Are you trying to convince me to choose someone else? Or are you afraid of a little hard work?"

Gabriella raised her chin determinedly. "Of course not. I just wanted to make sure you've thought this through."

"It's not rocket science, Gabi. You're one of my closest friends," Kelly told her with a grin. "Besides, I have it on good authority that Mark's planning to ask Troy to be his best man. Mark's sisters and my brother and our friends will be in the wedding, but you two are the ones we want to stand up with us."

"Wow, I'm… I… don't know what to say," Gabriella stammered. "I've never been a maid… matron… of honor before."

"Well, now's your chance," Kelly answered. "Please, Gabi, say yes! It'd mean so much to us!"

Gabriella blinked back tears that burned her eyes. "I'd be honored," she whispered.

"Yay!" Kelly exclaimed, launching out of her seat to throw her arms around her friend. When she settled back in her seat, she pulled a small notebook from her purse. "Okay, now that that's settled, we have a lot of work to do!"

Gabriella shook her head. "My first order of business as the matron of honor is to ban all wedding talk for the next thirty minutes. You've been in hyper wedding mode all morning. Your brain needs a time-out."

Kelly laughed. "See, I knew you'd be the perfect person for this job."

Gabriella laughed with her, but suddenly her eyes widened and her hand covered her mouth. "Oh my gosh, what if I'm pregnant for your wedding? We'll have to find a bridesmaid dress with a maternity panel!"

"And _I'm _the one in hyper wedding mode?" Kelly teased. "You just broke your own rule!"

"Well, it's something to think about," Gabriella argued. "Maybe you don't want a hippopotamus bridesmaid taking up all the space in your wedding photos."

Kelly laughed so hard she snorted. "First of all, I have a really hard time picturing you as a hippopotamus. You're _tiny_. Second, I hope you _are _pregnant by then. It'll be another reason for us to celebrate. And third, I _want _you in my wedding." Her eyes twinkled. "I'll just make sure the photographer brings a wide-angle lens, just in case."

Gabriella's jaw dropped at Kelly's ribbing before both women dissolved into a fit of giggles. When they managed to regain control, Kelly set her fork down and eyed her friend. "So with all this pregnancy talk, are you trying to tell me something?"

"No, I mean, not that I know of," Gabriella answered.

Kelly shook her head. "If I was the one trying to get pregnant, I'd be taking pregnancy tests every other day!"

"I did, at first," Gabriella admitted. "I was buying so many that Troy threatened to buy stock in the pharmaceutical company. But you're a nurse… You know that even if I am pregnant, the test won't show a positive result that quickly after conception."

"Which week of your monthly cycle are you on?" Kelly asked. "How long has it been since your last period?"

"That's a good question," Gabriella sighed. "Since I went off birth control, my cycles have been all over the place. They used to be like clockwork, but now it's like my whole body has gone haywire."

Kelly leaned forward. "How long since you've taken a pregnancy test?"

Gabriella thought for a moment. "Last week, right after Troy and I got back from Colorado."

Kelly nodded and pulled out her notebook, jotting a note before nonchalantly picking up her fork and resuming her meal. She took a bite, then chewed slowly as Gabriella watched her curiously. Finally she set her fork back down to reach across the small table and cover Gabriella's hand with hers.

"I just added another errand to our agenda for the day," Kelly told her. "We're stopping on the way home to pick up a pregnancy test."

.....~«ώ»~.....

When Troy got home from Berkeley that evening, he found Gabriella sitting at the desk in the spare bedroom, her fingers flying over the keys of her laptop. His hands settled on her shoulders, and he placed a gentle kiss in her hair.

"Hey, gorgeous," he greeted. "How did dress shopping go? Any luck?"

She shook her head, never slowing the pace of her typing. Troy frowned slightly.

"What are you working on?" he asked, leaning forward to read over her shoulder. "Is that stuff for the East High reunion?"

"Yeah," she answered softly. "Since we've been back from Albuquerque, Taylor's sent me at least fifteen e-mails. She's 'delegated' so much of the work to me that I can't imagine what's left for her to do."

"You could tell her no," he offered, kneading her shoulders to try to ease the tension that he felt beneath his fingers.

"I told her I would help," she answered flatly. Troy's frown deepened, and he pulled up a chair by her side, pulling her frantic fingers away from the keyboard and into his lap.

"Gabriella," he murmured, forcing her chin up to look at him. He was surprised to see tears pooling in her eyes, and he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly. "Baby, what's wrong? Did something happen?" She shook her head against his shoulder. "Talk to me, sweetie," he urged.

She drew a shaky breath before pulling back to meet his eyes. "I'm not pregnant, Troy," she told him sadly. A lone tear broke free and slid down her cheek.

He gathered her close again. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. We'll just have to keep trying."

"I know," she murmured into his chest. "I just wanted… I was hoping…"

"That we'd conceive our baby in Colorado," he finished for her, and she nodded. "Me too. But it'll happen when the time is right." He eased her away from his body to offer her a gentle smile. He traced his finger along her cheek, wiping away the remnants of her tears. "I love you, Gabriella, and we _will _make a baby together. It's just going to take some time, and I for one am willing to keep at it until we get it right."

She giggled. How did he _always_ know what to say to make her feel better? "Well, if you're willing to make such a sacrifice, then how can I refuse?"

He smiled briefly before growing serious. "One condition, though… From now on, we take the pregnancy tests together. I don't want you putting yourself through this alone. Pregnant or not, we'll find out together, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed.

"That's my girl," he replied with a wink. "Now that that's settled, have you had dinner?"

She nodded. "Kelly and I stopped on the way home. How about you?"

"Same for Mark and me," he replied, reaching for her hips to pull her into his lap. "How on earth will we occupy our time this evening?" he asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Her body began to tingle with anticipation. "Didn't you mention something about keeping at it until we conceive?" she murmured.

His arms tightened around her, and his voice was husky in her ear. "Why, Mrs. Bolton, I thought you'd never ask." He lifted her effortlessly and carried her to their bedroom, where they found a multitude of ways to occupy their time for the evening.


	7. Memory Lane

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 7—Memory Lane**

By the end of January, Gabriella was back to work as an Associate Professor at UC Hastings College of Law. Halfway through her second year of teaching, she was happy to have found a job that encompassed her love of law, science, and math. She taught in the Law & Health Sciences area, a concentration she'd naturally gravitated toward early in her education at Stanford. Her interest had been further solidified after Troy had enrolled in the Pre-Med program at Berkeley. It amused her that they had ended up in related careers, especially considering how different everyone had insisted they were when she'd first transferred to East High.

Gabriella's course load included two sections each of Intro to Health Law and Law & Bioscience, and one section of Scientific Method For Lawyers, which she co-taught with her former mentor, Dr. Randall Lentz. Though they'd known one another less than two years, they had a very close relationship, born from the trials they'd endured together. Gabriella had been by his side as he'd recovered from a serious heart attack, and he'd lovingly helped her cope in the dark days after her terrifying on-campus attack. Even at the age of 61, he had no plans to retire anytime soon, and although he was no longer officially her mentor, Gabriella continued to learn from him and seek his advice and approval. He was a fatherly figure and good friend, and the pair enjoyed the time they spent teaching together.

The Scientific Method course Gabriella and Dr. Lentz taught together was a lab-based course that required a significant amount of research and preparation. When Troy worked on weekends, he sometimes came home to find his wife and her colleague huddled over their laptops, intently discussing discrepancies in their research and their students' lab results. It was hard work, but Gabriella excelled at it, and thrived on the intellectual challenge.

After they finished class on the third Friday of the new semester, Gabriella and Dr. Lentz packed up their laptops and briefcases and walked together toward the faculty parking lot.

"Excellent job today, as always," he complimented. "I think the research groups you assigned will work out splendidly."

"Thank you," she demurred. "I have to admit, I'm _so_ ready for some down time this weekend!"

"Big plans?" he smiled, knowing of Troy's penchant for planning special dates.

Gabriella nodded. "Troy's off tomorrow, and the weather is _finally_ supposed to clear up, so we're packing a picnic and spending the day at Golden Gate Park."

"Oh, that sounds lovely," he enthused. "It's such a beautiful park, even this time of year."

"Yeah, we haven't been there since last fall, and there are some new exhibits we want to see at the California Academy of Sciences," she told him excitedly. "Plus, I _love_ the Japanese Tea Garden."

Dr. Lentz chuckled. "I bet you two are like a couple of kids in a candy shop at the science museum."

Gabriella giggled good-naturedly. "Troy did well in his high school science courses, but his interest in biology really piqued when he enrolled in Pre-Med."

"Trying to keep up with his genius girlfriend?" Dr. Lentz winked.

She blushed. "We weren't in competition with one another," she insisted. "We were both just pursuing our interests."

He nodded before steering the conversation back on course. "How did you manage to escape wedding planning duties this weekend?"

"Kelly's taking Mark out tomorrow," she told him. "They're meeting with florists and caterers and then touring their venue."

Dr. Lentz shook his head. "Back in the days when my wife and I got married, the bride and her family did all the planning. All the groom had to do was show up."

She smiled at him, touching his arm in a silent show of support. Dr. Lentz didn't often speak of his wife, who'd died several years before Gabriella started working at Hastings. "I think Mark would be totally fine with that, but Kelly is adamant that he be involved."

He laughed again. "Well, I'm glad, for your sake, that she feels that way. It'll give you some time to relax and unwind."

"Only for a day, though," Gabriella sighed. "Now that we've confirmed a date for our high school reunion, Taylor sent me a couple hundred invitations to address on Sunday while Troy's at work."

He smiled sympathetically. "You're just too helpful for your own good. You need to learn to put yourself first and say 'no' once in awhile."

She whirled around suspiciously as they neared their cars. "Did Troy tell you to say that?" she accused.

Gabriella's retort didn't faze the older man. He simply smiled. "Nope. Just my observation." He waited beside her car as she settled in, and then waved when her engine fired to life. She lowered her window to hear his final words. "Have a good weekend."

She waved back, sending him a genuine smile. "You too. See you Monday."

.....~«ώ»~.....

On Saturday morning, Troy rose to shower, and after pulling on jeans that slung low on his lean hips, he stood peering into the steamy mirror, the soft hum of his electric razor buzzing against his skin. He'd left the bathroom door open slightly to let out some of the steam from the shower, and as he leaned closer to the mirror, he felt small, warm hands slide across his bare back. He met his wife's eyes in the mirror and smiled as she stroked the firm planes of his back and shoulders.

"Why are you shaving on your day off?" Gabriella asked softly.

He chuckled. "Well, I'm in love with a woman with beautiful soft, silky skin that I don't want to rough up with my stubble."

"Hmm," she pretended to consider, threading her arms around his waist and tickling lightly at his abs. "Do you think this woman you're referring to is interested in having your face rubbing on her skin?"

"Absolutely," he answered confidently. "I'm spending the whole day with her, just the two of us, doing all kinds of romantic things, and I'm _sure_ she won't object to me kissing her." He winked at her reflection. "Everywhere."

He felt a small shudder jolt her body, and she tightened her arms around him, pressing her cheek against his back. "Sounds like a lucky girl," she murmured.

"I'm lucky to have _her_," he corrected, covering her hands with his and rubbing his thumb over her wedding ring. He cast an exaggerated glance around the bathroom as if to confirm that they were alone. "In fact," he whispered conspiratorially, "I'm trying to get her pregnant. I just hope she's as crazy about me as I am about her."

Her lips puckered against his skin in a light kiss. "I'm sure she is. And I'm guessing that she can't wait to have a baby with you."

He turned then, cupped her face, and kissed her tenderly. When he pulled back, he smiled down at her. "You seem to know this woman very well," he teased.

"Almost as well as I know myself," she returned with a giggle. Then she forced her smile away and made a serious face. "I should probably confess that I'm seeing someone too. In fact, I have a rendezvous with him today."

"Really?" he asked thoughtfully, leaning his hip against the vanity. "Anyone I know?"

"I think so," she answered earnestly. "He has a really hot, sexy body, and amazing blue eyes that I could drown in." She reached up to run her fingers through his damp hair, and his head naturally tilted towards her hand. "And he's sweet and romantic and funny, and he makes me feel really special whenever I'm with him…" She trailed off, biting her lip as she gazed up at him.

"That's because you _are_ special, and any man who can't see that is a fool," he murmured, tracing his thumb against her cheek.

She resumed the game. "Yeah, that's what he always says," she teased. "Weird. Anyway, he plays basketball, and… ooh, he's a doctor!" She clapped her hands excitedly, and Troy couldn't help but laugh. "And when he sings to me, I fall in love with him all over again."

"Sounds like a great guy," he offered as his hands settled possessively on her hips, pulling her closer.

"He is," she murmured, molding her body into his. "The best. And I get to wake up next to him every day for the rest of my life."

.....~«ώ»~.....

After breakfast, Troy and Gabriella enjoyed a leisurely morning at the California Academy of Sciences, walking hand in hand through the exhibits, and then spread out a blanket and set up their noontime picnic in the Japanese Tea Garden. The rain that had relentlessly fallen for the past several days had finally stopped, and although there was a bit of a chill in the air, the sun fought through the scattered clouds to make for a nice afternoon. After they ate, Troy reclined back on his elbows, crossing his ankles casually. He watched in amusement as Gabriella meticulously cleaned up the remains of their meal, wiping the empty containers and collecting even the most miniscule pieces of trash. When she worked her way towards Troy's area of the blanket, his fingers circled her arm, and he gently pulled her down to sit next to his hip.

"I was almost done," she protested lightly.

"Well, I missed you," he grinned. "I haven't touched you in at least…" He glanced at his wrist, checking a watch that wasn't there, "15 minutes. Way too long for my liking."

His hand circled the back of her neck and he pushed himself up to meet her lips in a sweet kiss. Instead of lying back down, he sat up and spread his legs apart, and she settled between them, her back to his front. His arms circled her and pulled her against his body, and her head rested against his chest. They sat in contented silence, taking in the beauty around them, as his fingers traced delicate patterns on her hands and arms. The gentle massage, accompanied by the soft, steady rhythm of Troy's heartbeat soothed Gabriella into a state of deep relaxation, and she signed contentedly.

"You're not falling asleep on me, are you?" he asked softly, his warm breath tickling her ear.

"No," she told him. "Just thinking. I can't remember the last time I felt this relaxed. It's nice."

She couldn't see his frown, but she felt his shoulders tense slightly. "You're working too hard."

A little laugh bubbled up from her chest. "This from the man who works 50+ hours a week."

"That's out of my control," he argued. "And it'll ease up some once I finish my first phase of residency."

"What about the team physician rotation you have to do later this year?" she pushed. "Hours at the hospital, _plus_ evenings and weekends with a high school athletic team."

"A lot will depend on where I'm assigned," he reminded her. "Some schools have longer athletic seasons than others." He dropped a light kiss in her hair, attempting to lighten the mood. "Besides, that's still months away… _Way_ too early to be worrying about it."

"I suppose." She sounded unconvinced, and Troy swept her hair aside to nibble at her neck, hoping to distract her. The truth was, he'd worried about it quite a bit. He looked forward to applying his skills and doing what he loved, but he hated the idea of spending so much time away from Gabriella, particularly if she was pregnant. Pushing his thoughts aside, he kissed her neck once more before pushing to his feet. He extended his hand to help her up, and when she was on her feet, he swept her into his arms, covering her mouth with his. They kissed for several minutes, hands roaming and tongues dueling, before he reluctantly pulled back.

He smiled apologetically at her. "We'd better stop before this goes any further. Getting arrested for public indecency would probably put a damper on our day together," he explained.

She giggled. "They'd never make it stick," she teased. "As an attorney, I could argue a _very_ convincing case for my urgent need to kiss my husband, public park or not."

"Well, in that case…" He trailed off as mischief danced in his eyes, and Gabriella squeaked in surprise when he dipped her backwards, just as he had when they'd learned to waltz, and kissed her soundly.

.....~«ώ»~.....

They spent the rest of the afternoon strolling through the park, touring the Conservatory of Flowers, and looking out over the Bay. Troy was mindful of the "15 minute rule" he'd implemented, and his hands never strayed far from his wife's body. He held her hand, guided her with his hand on the small of her back, slung his arm around her shoulders, and stopped to kiss her whenever he felt like it. She teased him for acting like a "horny teenager," but secretly she reveled in his loving attention.

After a nice dinner at Fisherman's Wharf, Gabriella suggested that they go up to Telegraph Hill, overlooking the city, to watch the sunset.

"_Now_ who's a horny teenager?" he laughed. During their college years, they'd gone to Telegraph Hill a number of times to watch the sunset, only to get so wrapped up in their desire for one another that they missed the sunset completely.

"Are you complaining?" she returned mischievously.

"Absolutely not," he replied with a grin.

Despite their teasing innuendos, they actually _watched_ the sunset, wrapped together in their blanket to fend off the evening cold. They talked, laughed, and reminisced until the sun slipped into the ocean. Only then did their touches become caresses in anticipation of what awaited them at home.

As they drove home, Gabriella pulled out her phone, which had been silenced for the evening, and was concerned to see several missed calls and texts from Kelly, all received within the past 45 minutes. Frowning, she scrolled through the texts, which offered little clue about what was going on. Then she dialed her voice mail, and Kelly's tearful wail poured from her phone's speaker. She could barely understand what Kelly was saying, and her imagination ran wild with frightening scenarios. Clutching Troy's hand nervously, she dialed Kelly's number, groaning when the call went straight to voice mail. She called Mark's phone and got the same result.

"What's going on?" She lamented. "Why aren't they answering?"

"I don't know," he answered, his mouth worried into a thin line. He turned onto their street, and spotted Kelly's car in their driveway. Troy pulled in and parked, and Gabriella barely made it out of the car before Kelly flung herself into her friend's arms.

"Oh my gosh, Kelly, what happened?" Gabriella asked fearfully.

"Mark and I had a fight," Kelly sobbed. "A big one."

"Where is he?" Troy asked from behind them. "Are both of you okay? Nobody's hurt?"

"Nobody's hurt," Kelly confirmed tearfully. "I don't know where he is now. He was still at our place when I left."

"Okay, let's go inside and you can tell me about it," Gabriella told her. As she turned, Troy touched her arm. She stopped to look back at him as Kelly climbed the steps of the porch.

"I'm going to go check on him and make sure he's all right," he told her quietly.

She nodded, disappointed that their plans had been derailed. His hand slid up her arm to circle her shoulders, and he kissed her forehead tenderly. "I'll be back in a little while," he assured her, lifting her chin with his fingers to see the conflict of emotions swirling in her eyes. "Don't worry, baby, it'll be okay."

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he answered, kissing each side of her mouth before his lips met hers. Far too soon for her liking, he stepped back and circled around to the driver's side of the car, blowing her one last kiss over the roof before settling into the seat and backing onto the street.

.....~«ώ»~.....

As soon as Gabriella and Kelly settled on the sofa in the Boltons' living room, Kelly launched into her tirade.

"Mark Davis is such a petty, selfish jerk!" she announced angrily.

"Come on, Kelly, you don't really mean that," Gabriella argued softly. Her hands covered her friend's to still their wringing. "Tell me what happened."

"Well it all started when we went to meet with one of our prospective caterers," Kelly began. "The owner turned out to be an old boyfriend of mine, which I _didn't_ know when I set up the consultation, but Mark said I _did_ know. Richard just started the business a few years ago, _after _we broke up, and one of the nurses at the hospital recommended his company. It was his assistant manager that I spoke to when I set up the appointment. Gabi, I _swear_ I didn't know it was his business, or I _never_ would have contacted them."

"It's okay," Gabriella soothed. "It's an honest mistake. So then what happened?"

"Well, Richard was really happy to see me—we ended our relationship on good terms—and Mark got really mad," Kelly continued. "Richard offered to cater our reception at cost, which would be a _huge_ savings, but Mark said there was no way in hell we were using his company."

Gabriella couldn't help but smile. That sounded just like Mark. "You said you wanted Mark's input in the wedding plans," she pointed out. "That means sometimes he's going to say 'no' when you want to say 'yes.'"

"But he's saying 'no' for a stupid reason," Kelly argued. "He's just jealous, and he has no reason to be. I love _him_, not Richard."

"Did you happen to mention that at any time during the discussion?" Gabriella interrupted.

"No," Kelly faltered. "But there's more. We agreed to let it go for the time being and finish our appointments. When we went to tour our wedding venue, Mark blew up again and said that it was too snobby and he didn't want to get married there." More tears rolled down her cheeks. "Gabi, I've wanted to have my wedding at the San Francisco Design Club's Galleria ever since I moved to this city. You've seen it; it's incredible. My mom put down a deposit as soon as we chose our wedding date. But now Mark's mad because I decided without him, and he said our wedding should be a reflection of _both_ of us, and he wants to get married on the beach."

"Your wedding _should_ be a reflection of both of you," Gabriella pointed out. "Troy and I got married at the Memorial Church at Stanford, and had our reception at the Faculty Club at Berkeley."

Kelly forced a small smile. "I have trouble picturing Troy being forceful about having the reception at his alma mater."

"He wasn't," Gabriella clarified. "He suggested the church at Stanford because he knew it was a special place for me, but it was my idea to have the reception at Berkeley. That's my point. We attended rival schools, but our wedding showed that our commitment to each other was… is… far more important than our allegiance to the schools we attended. To be honest, though, I would've been happy marrying Troy on a barge in the middle of San Francisco Bay. More than anything, I just wanted to marry the man I loved." She leaned closer. "Which is more important? _Where_ you're getting married, or _who_ you're marrying?"

"But Mark's just arguing about the wedding venue because I wanted to use Richard's catering company," Kelly protested.

Gabriella sighed. "Okay, what if you guys went to pick out, say, a florist, and came across one of Mark's ex-girlfriends, and she was all giggly and flirty and eager to work with him. Would you be comfortable with that?"

Kelly's eyes dropped to her lap, where her hands were wringing nervously. "Probably not," she admitted quietly.

"And is the Galleria _so_ important to you that you'd be okay with Mark feeling uncomfortable on your wedding day?" Gabriella continued.

"No," Kelly muttered. "But I…"

"Do you love Mark?" Gabriella interrupted. "Do you want to marry him?"

Kelly looked up, meeting her friend's eyes. "You know I do."

"Then _that's_ what you need to focus on, instead of all this other stuff that doesn't really matter," Gabriella concluded.

Kelly sat silently for several minutes, occasionally wiping stray tears from her cheeks, until she finally nodded decisively. "I think I'm going to go home now and talk to Mark."

"That sounds like a great idea," Gabriella agreed as she pushed to her feet.

At the front door, Kelly pulled her friend into a tight hug. "Thank you so much, Gabi. You're a lifesaver."

"You're welcome," Gabriella answered. "Sometimes we just need to be reminded about what's important."

"Yeah," Kelly sighed. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay," Gabriella answered. "Good luck."

.....~«ώ»~.....

Twenty minutes later, Troy was back home. He'd settled Mark down and talked some sense into him, and by the time Kelly had returned home, they'd both been calmer and ready to talk. When Troy slid his key into the lock and opened the front door, he smiled as he caught sight of Gabriella stretched out on the couch, asleep. On the coffee table in front of her, their wedding album laid open. He stepped forward to see what she'd been looking at, and grinned when he saw one of his favorite photos from their wedding day. In it, he and Gabriella stood in front of the tree at Stanford that they'd waltzed around on prom night their senior year. "Their" tree.

Troy settled into the armchair and pulled the album into his lap, reminiscing about the significance that part of Stanford's campus held for them. That was the night that had changed everything for them. By coming after her, Troy had declared his intentions and staked his claim on her heart. They'd sat there, under that tree, talking about their future, a future that Gabriella had tried to give up on when she'd left Albuquerque. That was where Troy had first told her that he was considering Berkeley, although she hadn't known his final decision until he announced it onstage the night of East High's musical. It was also where Troy had told her for the first time that he loved her. Countless times throughout their college days, they'd returned to their tree to talk, reconnect, and even a few times, to dance.

Troy leaned forward to look more closely at the photo. Gabriella was stunningly beautiful in her wedding dress, and he stood beside her, clad in a black tuxedo. His arm circled her waist as he held her against his chest, and just above their heads, on the tree behind them, was a carved heart that simply said "T + G." It was a detail that had been digitally added by the photographer; they hadn't actually carved their initials in the tree. But it added to the magic of that photo, made their blissful smiles seem a little wider, and hinted at the special history they shared.

He glanced from the album to his sleeping wife, and his heart flooded with love. Setting the book back on the coffee table, he bent, kissed her forehead, and then lifted her into his arms. She stirred as he carried her towards their bedroom, and her eyes finally slid open as he gently laid her on the bed and pulled off her shoes.

Her drowsy smile delighted him. "You're home," she murmured sleepily.

He kicked off his shoes, settled beside her, and pulled the covers over them, not caring that they were both still fully clothed. He pulled her close and kissed her neck, inhaling her sweet scent. "Yeah," he agreed. "I'm home."


	8. Cupid's Mark

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 8—Cupid's Mark**

**A/N: This chapter is rated M.**

_As Gabriella walked down a corridor in the basement at UC Hastings, she distractedly wondered why it was so dark and deserted—the campus was usually buzzing with activity. That thought was immediately pushed from her mind when she suddenly heard a baby crying. She paused, trying to determine where the sound was coming from, and then strode decisively toward the door to a lab. An odd sense of déjà vu gripped her… Why did that lab seem so familiar to her? The Bioscience lab in which she and Dr. Lentz taught was upstairs. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd been in the basement… Hazy memories tugged at the corner of her mind, but she couldn't make sense of them. She pushed them aside and quickened her pace as the baby let out another loud wail. She opened the door and immediately spotted the baby in a basket on one of the lab tables. Frowning, she scanned the room and saw that no one was there. 'Who would leave a baby alone down here?' she wondered._

_Gabriella leaned over the basket to get a closer look. The baby's face was red, its eyes squeezed tightly shut as it cried. It looked to be only a few weeks old. Sliding her hands under its warm body, she lifted the baby into her arms, rocking it gently to soothe it. The baby began to calm, and Gabriella's breath caught in her throat when its eyelids slid open to reveal the most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen. 'No,' she corrected herself, 'I _have _seen them before… they're just like Troy's…' More foggy memories struggled to form in her mind, but she forced her focus back to the baby in her arms._

_Suddenly, a terrible fear gripped her. It felt like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. She could see no enemy, but an ominous dark presence seemed to approach her from the back of the lab. Terrified, she gripped the baby against her body and rushed back into the dark hallway. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, her frantic cries blending with the those of the frightened child in her arms. If she could just get upstairs and away from… She stumbled, her knees cracking painfully on the tiled floor as she fell awkwardly to protect the baby. Pushing aside the pain, she tried to push back to her feet, but suddenly the dark presence was upon her. Her throat tightened. She tried to scream, but there was no air…_

Gabriella was jolted from her sleep, sitting up in bed as she struggled to breathe. Her lungs burned, and her hands clutched her throat. Troy was by her side in an instant, pulling her fingers away from her neck.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked urgently, lifting her chin to see the fear in her eyes. He recognized the all-too-familiar signs of her haunting nightmare, a lingering effect of the attack she'd survived more than a year before. Her nightmares had grown much less frequent as time had passed, but were no less terrifying for her when they did occur. His arm circled her back, pulling her closer to him, and he rocked her gently. "It's okay, sweetheart, you're safe. It was just a dream."

As the fog began to clear from her mind, she pulled air into her lungs, relieved to feel the tightness in her throat diminishing. Troy watched her closely, rubbing her back as she calmed. She was shaking, and as the memories of her dream washed over her, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Tears trailed down her cheeks, and Troy wiped them away with his fingertips. She turned her body to snuggle more closely against her husband's chest and struggled to calm her racing thoughts.

"Can you tell me about it, Gabriella?" he asked gently. Her psychiatrist had encouraged her to talk about her thoughts and feelings when she was upset. Keeping them to herself in the wake of her ordeal, in an attempt to protect Troy, had nearly broken her. She shook her head. "Come on, sweetheart. Dr. Sheldon said it's important to get it out in the open."

"It was the same dream, Troy," she replied impatiently. "You've heard it all before."

He tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at him. "You haven't been this scared by a nightmare in at least six months. What are you not telling me? What's different?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she told him flatly.

His expression turned stern. "Gabriella…"

"Fine," she answered roughly. "This time there was a baby. It was crying, and there was nobody else around, so I picked it up, and then… then I… _he _was there, and I got scared and ran."

"Then what happened?" he asked quietly.

"I was almost to the stairwell, and I fell, and I couldn't get away fast enough…" She trailed off with a whimper, and Troy pulled her into a comforting embrace and laid back down with her.

"It's okay, sweetheart," he repeated, kissing the tears from her cheeks. "I'm here with you, and I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you. You're safe—I'll take care of you, I promise. You don't have to be afraid. I love you, baby." He was reciting the same comforting phrases he'd used again and again in situations like this, but it didn't diminish their truth. He meant every word he said.

She calmed as she laid in his arms, absently tracing her fingers along the lines of his chest. Troy slid his hand under her hair to massage her neck, smiling against her forehead as he felt her body relax. Long after her hand stilled and her breathing indicated that she was asleep, he held her close to his body. He'd promised to take care of her, and he intended to do just that.

.....~«ώ»~.....

When Gabriella awoke the next morning, she was surprised to find that Troy was not beside her in bed. The bathroom was unoccupied, but his duffel bag was still on the dresser, indicating that he hadn't yet left for work. _Maybe he went for a run, _she considered. Troy took pride in his fit physique, and often met up with Mark before or after work to lift weights, run, or play basketball in the hospital's gym.

The mystery was solved when she heard the rattle of dishes just before he pushed the bedroom door open. She gasped when she saw the breakfast tray he'd made for her, complete with strawberries, heart-shaped waffles, whipped cream, and a red rose in a bud vase.

"Oh, Troy," she exclaimed. "How thoughtful!"

Grinning impishly, he settled the tray over her lap before circling the bed to sit beside her. "Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart," he murmured, leaning over to collect a kiss.

"Happy Valentine's Day to _you_," she gushed. "Thank you… this is so nice."

"Anything for my favorite girl," he answered with a wink. He paused to study her as she ate. "How did you sleep?" he asked carefully.

"Fine," she answered quietly. "No more dreams." Her eyes dropped as she pretended to concentrate on cutting her waffle.

"Good," he nodded. He glanced at his watch regretfully. "I wish I could stay with you while you eat, but I need to get to work. What time are you done at school today?"

"4:00," she supplied. "What about you?"

"6:00," he replied as he leaned in to kiss her goodbye. "I'll miss you today," he admitted huskily.

She smiled seductively. "I'll miss you too, but I'll definitely be thinking about the evening I have planned for you."

"Ooh, I like the sound of that," he growled, leaning back in for another kiss.

She halted his advance with a finger to his lips. "No more for now," she told him. "But I'll have plenty waiting for you when you get home tonight. The anticipation will help you get through the day."

.....~«ώ»~.....

As it turned out, the "anticipation" that Gabriella had teased him about was extremely distracting to Troy, making the day drag on endlessly. He knew she'd purposely left him wanting more, and by midmorning, he was ready to explode with pent-up longing. _Two can play at this game, _he thought wickedly. Pulling out his phone, he typed in a message:

_Thinking about what I want to do to you tonight…_

He hit the Send button and waited a few minutes, smiling as he pictured her cheeks reddening when she opened his message. Then his phone buzzed with a new message:

_I hope it involves chocolate, strawberries, and whipped cream… I'm starving!_

Troy chuckled before writing another message:

_Don't worry, I'll make sure ALL your needs are satisfied. Multiple times._

"Hey, Troy, what's up?" Troy jumped slightly and looked up to see Mark approaching.

"Nothing much, how about you?" Troy returned, feeling his face warm that Mark had nearly caught him sending intimate texts to Gabriella.

"Valentine's Day, what can I say?" Mark shrugged as the two walked toward the cafeteria. "Jilted lovers, depressed singles, toddlers who ate too much of mommy's chocolate… crazy morning in the ER."

Troy nodded sympathetically. He'd been working in a different part of the hospital that morning, but he'd worked enough holidays in the ER to know how they brought out the craziness in people. "Have you made big plans with the little woman tonight?" Troy asked.

Mark shrugged. "It's harder when Valentine's Day is in the middle of the week and we both have to work the next day. But we have a dinner reservation, and I'm sure we'll find something to do when we get home." He grinned cockily. "What about you?"

"I have no idea," Troy confessed. "It's Gabriella's turn to plan the date this year."

"You guys are still doing that?" Mark marveled. After one disastrous Valentine's Day in college when Troy and Gabriella had made conflicting plans and ended up in an argument, they'd decided to alternate date-planning on romantic holidays and anniversaries. Mark remembered that night well—he'd left his own date early to comfort his distraught roommate.

"Yeah," Troy answered. "The mystery definitely adds some spice to the mix."

Mark snorted as they walked into the hospital cafeteria. "Like you and Gabi need any more _spice_ in your relationship. After all this time, you still can't keep your hands off her, man."

Troy's face split into a wide grin. "Can you blame me? I'm married to the most gorgeous woman in the world."

"Good point," Mark replied good-naturedly, slapping his friend on the back.

Troy felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and eagerly pulled it out to check the message from Gabriella:

_I'm in a faculty meeting and you're making it really hard to concentrate._

He laughed out loud, imagining her embarrassment at having a conversation like theirs in the presence of her colleagues. He quickly typed another message:

_You're making ME really hard…_

He and Mark purchased their lunches and found Kelly in the crowded room, dressed in her trademark pink scrubs. Gabriella's return message came as they sat down with their food. He nearly dropped his phone when he read the words she'd written:

_Can't wait to feel how hard you are inside me…_

_Damn. _It was the last thing he expected from his usually shy, reserved wife. He choked on the bite he was chewing, coughing as Mark and Kelly looked at him curiously.

"You okay, dude?" Mark asked.

"Yeah," Troy forced out, swallowing hard. "Just went down wrong."

"It's because you guys inhale your food," Kelly deduced. "If I ate that fast, I would be out of commission for the rest of the afternoon."

Mark leaned forward with a wicked grin. "Does that mean they'd let you off work early? I'd be glad to take you home and nurse you back to health."

"How noble of you," she teased, patting his hand. "All in good time, my love."

They gazed adoringly into one another's eyes and murmured to each other, and Troy seized the opportunity to type a new message to Gabriella:

_Going crazy thinking about you. Are your panties wet?_

Troy squeezed his eyes shut as he pressed Send. He'd started this texting game, and now he was beginning to regret it. He was so turned on by her sexy messages that the idea of waiting all afternoon to see and touch her made him want to drop his head into his hands and cry. He forced himself to refocus his attention on the couple in front of him, but that resolution only lasted until his phone vibrated once more. His hands shook as he eased it out of his lab coat and thumbed the key to open the message. A groan rumbled from his throat as he read her words:

_Panties? What panties?_

"I've gotta go," he croaked as he pushed away from the table, thankful for the loose fit of his scrub pants. He wasn't sure there was enough cold water in the hospital to help him now.

.....~«ώ»~.....

Across town, Gabriella was feeling equally hot and bothered in the faculty dining room. She ached to see Troy, feel him, wrap her fingers around his…

"Gabriella?" Dr. Lentz's gentle voice pierced through the haze of her thoughts, and her face turned crimson as she realized what she'd been thinking about while sitting at a table with her colleagues.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" she timidly asked the older man. He laughed.

"My goodness, what could you possibly have been thinking about, dear?" he teased. "Or shall I say, _'who'_?"

"Um, I was… uh… thinking about my notes for class this afternoon," Gabriella stammered.

"Gabriella, I've observed your class a number of times, and I've never seen you get that red over a law lecture," Dr. Nora Jacobson grinned from across the table. She leaned back and tapped her fingers together as if she was about to cross-examine a witness. When Dr. Lentz had been unable to finish his term as Gabriella's mentor the previous year, he'd hand-picked Dr. Jacobson to take over the job, and the three of them had developed an easy camaraderie.

"I think someone's been shot with Cupid's arrow," Dr. Lentz observed with a chuckle. "And there's only one man I know that can have that effect on her."

Gabriella laughed along with them, knowing it was pointless to deny it.

Dr. Jacobson covered Gabriella's hand with her own. "We're just having a little fun with you. I think it's wonderful that you have that kind of love in your life. You're very lucky, you know."

Gabriella nodded seriously. "I _do _know," she told her companions. "He's an amazing man, and I still pinch myself sometimes that he chose _me._" The collar of her blouse suddenly felt rather tight, and it seemed like the temperature in the room had zoomed up by twenty degrees. "I… uh… think I'm going to go get ready for my lecture. Have a good afternoon." She excused herself and hustled toward the exit, missing the knowing glance her colleagues shared in her wake.

.....~«ώ»~.....

Troy walked into the hospital locker room at the end of his shift, sighing with relief that the interminable day was finally over. The afternoon had been torturous, and the lack of texts from Gabriella told him that their sexy play had gotten to her as well. He stripped off his scrubs and took a quick shower, then pulled on dark trousers and a white dress shirt. He slipped on his dress shoes and knotted his tie. He didn't know where they were going that night, but he'd decided that he would rather be overdressed than underdressed.

"Whoa, lookin' good, Bolton." Troy turned to see Carl Rogers at the locker room door. "Getting ready for a hot night between the sheets with the missus?"

Troy sighed. "I've told you before, Carl, what I do with my wife is none of your concern."

"One thing I've always wondered," Carl pushed on, undeterred. "Is she a screamer? I read somewhere that shy, quiet women can get pretty wild in the sack."

Troy took several steps towards his colleague, his eyes narrowed and his voice low. "I can't decide whether your perverted interest in my wife is caused by jealousy or your inane need to wind me up. It takes a lot to rattle me, Carl. Surely you've figured that out by now. And if you're jealous, well, you have reason to be. My wife is beautiful and smart and sexy, and she's in _my_ bed every night. That's not going to change anytime soon, so take my advice and _back off._"

Troy held the other man's gaze for a few moments before turning on his heel to collect his things. Slamming his locker closed, he checked his phone and saw a new message from Gabriella. Instead of the racy message he half-expected, her text was brief and businesslike:

_550 Geary Street._

He grinned, wondering what she had in store for their evening, and made a beeline for the hospital parking garage, typing as he walked:

_On my way._

.....~«ώ»~.....

Gabriella read Troy's message and flipped her phone shut. Then she picked up the hotel phone and instructed the room service waiter to bring up their meals. She ran nervous hands over the sheer halter babydoll she wore. It was rich purple, lavished with delicate embroidery and beading that formed a band just below her breasts, interrupting the deep plunge of the neckline. More embellishments adorned the narrow straps that tied behind her neck, and the flowing overlay of the skirt just barely covered her matching panties. Feeling self-conscious, she'd thrown on a black silk robe over it, at least for the time being.

She wasn't usually quite so self-indulgent, buying expensive lingerie and booking a suite at the Hotel Adagio, but she reminded herself that this was for Troy, and considering the incredible dates he'd planned for her, he most certainly deserved this and much more. Besides, they were trying to get pregnant, and mixing things up once in awhile was good for both of them. A soft knock on the door signaled the arrival of the room service cart, and the waiter dutifully unloaded the dome-covered dishes onto the table in front of the picture window that looked over downtown San Francisco. The food smelled good, and Gabriella's stomach growled. _I hope he gets here soon,_ she thought.

.....~«ώ»~.....

Troy had no trouble finding the address that Gabriella had sent him, but he frowned when he walked into the ornately decorated lobby and didn't see her there. He made his way to the front desk and waited for the clerk there to finish a phone call. As he waited, he continued to scan the lobby, wondering if perhaps he'd missed seeing his wife on his initial sweep.

"Can I help you, sir?" the woman behind the desk finally asked as she hung up the phone.

"Yes, I'm looking for my wife," he explained. "She told me to meet her here, but I don't see her…"

"What is your wife's name?" she asked patiently.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's Gabriella Bolton," he answered.

She smiled and handed him an envelope. He slid his finger under the flap to break the seal, and found a keycard. "Enjoy your stay, Dr. Bolton," she told him with a wink.

"My stay?" he questioned before he realized what Gabriella had planned. His grin could've lit up the entire lobby. "Oh, I most certainly will."

.....~«ώ»~.....

Gabriella was staring out at the San Francisco skyline when she heard the door click softly behind her. She turned to look and nearly lost her breath at the sight of the handsome man in the entry. Across the room, Troy was having an equally difficult time breathing as he took in how _little _his wife was wearing.

"Gabriella," he started. "You look… wow. Somehow I have a feeling we're staying in this evening."

"Is that all right?" she asked, suddenly afraid he was disappointed. "We could go out if you'd rather…"

He crossed the room in a handful of strides, and gripped her upper arms firmly. "No," he insisted, his voice intense. "I've been aching for you all day. You have no idea… I've wanted you every damn second we were apart."

She rose on tiptoe, aligning her hips with the straining bulge in his trousers. He groaned, his hand moving to the small of her back to hold her in place. She touched his face. "I _do _have an idea, Troy, because today was torture for me too. I can't wait to be with you tonight." She teased him with a light kiss before turning back toward the table. "But first, I ordered room service…"

She didn't even finish the sentence before his body was pressing into her back, pinning her against the table. His breath was hot in her ear, and his touch burned her skin through the fabric of her robe. "If I don't have you right now, I'm going to explode." His teeth nipped at the shell of her ear. "Drop the robe."

Gabriella's mouth dropped in surprise, but she grinned mischievously as she decided not to cede control yet. She rubbed her backside against his erection. "Make me," she purred.

Troy chuckled lowly. "Are you challenging me?"

She turned in his arms, lacing her fingers behind his neck. "Sounds like it," she answered. "Are you up for the challenge, big boy?"

"Hell, yeah," he growled, dropping his hands to her hips and lifting her effortlessly onto the table behind her. He pushed the robe off her shoulders and buried his face in her neck, nipping at her skin as she freed her arms from the sleeves. Straightening, he took a step back to drink in the beautiful sight of her barely-concealed curves. "Damn," he sighed. "Sweetheart, you look…" He struggled to find words to adequately describe her beauty, but then gave up, cupped her face, and kissed her hard.

She returned his fiery passion, scooting forward to the edge of the table to wrap her legs around his hips and align them intimately. His hands slid under her backside and he lifted her, never breaking their kiss as he carried her to the bed and laid her down gently. He separated long enough to strip down to his silk boxers, and then he lowered his body onto hers.

"Troy," she whimpered into his mouth as one of his hands slid down to fondle her breast. His erection ground relentlessly against her panties, and she lifted her hips to increase the pressure. "I need you."

"You have me," he whispered. His lips separated from hers and began a sweetly torturous path down her body. He untied her halter to free her breasts, and spent time licking and sucking each one, teasing her nipples into hard points. Then he continued down her stomach, pausing to suck her navel before slipping lower. His thumbs hooked the sides of her panties and pulled them down her legs and off, and his eyes locked on hers as his lips trailed slowly back up her legs. He held her gaze as his tongue dipped into her silky heat, and her hips came off the mattress as she cried out in blissful agony.

"Relax, baby, let it happen," he hummed against her. She was so wet with arousal that he knew she was not far from her peak, and when his lips settled over her clit and sucked her, she tumbled over the edge. He felt the waves of her orgasm ripple against his mouth as she plunged her fingers into his hair, holding him against her. Gradually her cries became whimpers, and he slid back up her body to hold her as she relaxed.

"That was unbelievable," Gabriella finally murmured. "But I'm supposed to be in charge here, not you."

With a soft laugh Troy released her and flopped on his back. "Fine, then. I surrender to the whims of my lover."

Wasting no time, she shimmied down his body and released his shaft from the confines of his boxers. She stroked him languidly for a few minutes, teasing him as he'd done to her. He covered his eyes with his arm, getting lost in her erotic touch. When she paused, however, he sensed what she was about to do and lowered a hand to halt her.

"Stop, sweetie," he forced out. She looked up at him, confused. "I _love _what you're doing to me right now, but if your mouth touches me, I'll be gone, and I don't want that. Not yet. I need to be inside you."

Nodding, she slid off his boxers and lifted off the remainder of her lingerie before straddling him, aligning herself, and sinking down onto his penis. He groaned as her inner walls gripped him, and squeezed his eyes shut as she began to circle her hips and slide up and down on him. When she leaned forward, resting her hands on his chest, he seized them and pulled her down, wrapping his arms around her to hold her to him. He thrust powerfully up into her, and she cupped his face and kissed him.

"I love you so much," he murmured.

"I love you," she answered softly.

Without warning he slowed his thrusts and pushed at her hips, signaling his desire to change positions. She lifted off of him and laid down on her side, curving her body into his as he spooned her from behind. His hands held her hips as he eased back into her, and then drifted up to secure her back against his chest. She twisted her head around to kiss him, and he willingly obliged, sweeping his tongue into her mouth. As his thrusts deepened and intensified, his hand drifted down to her abdomen and he held her against his hips, increasing the depth of his penetration.

"Yes, yes," she panted. "Troy, oh…"

Feeling his peak approaching, he rolled her onto her stomach without separating their bodies. He slid his hands up her arms and linked his fingers with hers and made love to her from behind. She purred and pressed back into him, eager to please. The slide of his thick penis in her body, the beat of his heart on her back, the speed with which her own excitement built again and surged to equal his all threatened to collide in a peak of wonder when he suddenly withdrew and turned her onto her back.

"I want to see you," he groaned, weaving his hands into her hair, holding her face still. She welcomed him into her body again, looking up into his eyes. She rose to meet each thrust, feeling her climax rushing upon her, wanting it so desperately. Her eyes squeezed shut in anticipation, but Troy's soft voice pulled her back from the edge.

"Gabriella, I don't want you to close your eyes. I want you to look at me while I'm making love to you. I want to see the moment when you realize there's no turning back, that I'm going to take you over the edge and put my baby inside you to love and nurture."

She nodded mutely, unable to form words as tears burned the backs of her eyes. He lowered himself completely onto her body, holding her hands as his face hovered just above hers. They panted, too breathless to kiss. His hips circled, preparing for the end, and then he drew back and plunged into her hard. Her eyes widened and she whimpered helplessly as her orgasm shook her whole body.

Three more powerful thrusts, and Troy shouted as he spilled himself into her. She clung to him, kissed his hot throat, savored his smell and the salty taste of his damp skin. She was completely at his mercy, but she didn't feel crushed or smothered. She felt safe and completely loved.

"Gabriella," he whispered, clutching her tightly, his body still shuddering from the force of his release. He held her and kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, and her lips as his penis softened inside her. Finally, her eased off of her and pulled her into his arms.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Troy," she murmured sleepily into his chest.

He laughed softly and kissed her hair. "Close your eyes and rest, sweetheart. I intend to keep you up very late tonight, until I've thoroughly ravished you. The only dreams you'll have will be of me, of us, of the baby we may have just conceived."

"Mmm," she hummed, thoroughly satisfied and pleasantly sore. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby," he answered.

"Dr. Lentz said I'd been shot with Cupid's arrow," she told him randomly.

He laughed again. "_I_ have been, that's for sure." He nuzzled his face into her neck and kissed her once more. "Straight through the heart. Bullseye."


	9. Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 9—Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder**

Troy and Mark settled into a booth at one of their favorite restaurants, breathing a collective sigh of relief that their long work day was done. It was the first Saturday in March, and both doctors had just started a new rotation at the hospital. Learning the ropes in a new area of concentration was always a challenge, but the new assignments brought them another step closer to completion of their junior residency training. They ordered drinks and made small talk as they waited, and Troy's eyes kept darting towards the entrance. When Troy's mouth widened into a goofy grin, Mark knew that the women had arrived. As Kelly and Gabriella spotted them and approached, Troy slid out of his seat to greet his wife with a warm hug and a lingering kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, beautiful," he greeted with a smile. "How did the shopping go?"

Gabriella grinned at Kelly as they settled into their seats. "Well, since these two changed their venue and hired a wedding consultant, our 'To Do' list is considerably shorter."

"So it's official, then?" Troy asked with a wink across the table. "You're really getting married in Hawaii?"

"We were already planning to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon, and since we couldn't agree on where we wanted to get married, we thought this would be a good compromise," Mark explained.

"We're keeping our reservation at the San Francisco Design Center, and we'll have our reception there when we get back," Kelly added. "So we're actually having the wedding a week early, on June 10th, and then we'll fly back to San Francisco on the 15th for the reception on the 16th."

"How many guests do you think will be able to make it to Hawaii?" Troy asked.

"We've gotten the green light from our families," Mark answered. "The reception here is for everyone else who doesn't want to make the trip."

"Wait," Gabriella interrupted. "I thought you weren't going to decide for sure until Troy…" She trailed off, looking back and forth between the two men. Troy was making a weak attempt to hide his smile, and she hit his arm playfully. "You got that weekend off? We're going to Hawaii for the wedding?"

"We're going to Hawaii," Troy confirmed with a chuckle. "Dr. Gould gave me the stamp of approval today."

"Yay!" Gabriella exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. "It'll be like a second honeymoon!" Troy laughed at her enthusiasm, and she blushed as she suddenly remembered that they were not alone. "Um, I mean..." she stammered, "Troy and I went to Hawaii for our honeymoon…"

Troy's hand squeezed her thigh under the table, and he spoke up to rescue her. "We went to Maui for our honeymoon. You guys are getting married in Oahu, right?"

"Yep, that's right," Mark nodded, slinging his arm around his fiancée's shoulders. "We'll split our time between Oahu and the Big Island for our honeymoon."

"The wedding coordinator in Hawaii is taking care of all the wedding plans down there," Kelly added. "There will be a small reception after the ceremony, but everything will be wrapped up by around 3:00… Plenty of time for you guys to fly home and make it in to work on Monday."

"I'm so glad you were able to make this work," Gabriella told them. "It'll be good to go back, even if it is just for a couple of days."

"Don't worry, Gabi, we'll definitely have some beach and spa time worked into the schedule while we're there," Kelly said. "And I'm sure Troy and Mark will be more than happy to keep themselves occupied with their surfboards."

"All right!" Troy exclaimed, high-fiving Mark across the table.

"Mark Davis, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were more excited about _surfing _in Hawaii than marrying me," Kelly sulked teasingly.

"Aww, babe, the surfing is just an added bonus," he charmed. "Without you, I wouldn't even want to go on the trip to begin with."

"Good save," Kelly teased, poking him in the ribs as the server approached to take their orders.

After their orders were turned in and their drinks were refilled, Troy slid his arm around his wife, and she nestled into his side, gazing up at him lovingly.

"Good lord, I'd better cancel my food order if I'm going to have to watch the lovey-dovey stuff all evening," Mark announced, pretending to gag. "Geez, Bolton, you've only been away for her for, like, ten hours!"

Troy tightened his grip and grinned defiantly at his friend. "Yeah, but I'm going to be away from her for three days, so I have to soak up my time with her before she leaves."

Mark's gaze swung to Gabriella. "So you finally decided to dump this washed-up jock doc, huh?"

"Not a chance," she assured him. "Hastings is on Spring Break this week, so I'm going to visit my mom in New York for a few days."

"Aww, Troy, you're not going with her?" Kelly asked.

He shook his head with disappointment. "No, since we just started our new rotations, I couldn't get the time off. But I'm glad she gets the chance to spend a few days with Maria."

"We have some friends from high school who live in New York as well," Gabriella added. "I might try to look them up and pop in for a visit."

"Good for you," Mark said approvingly. "And while you're gone, we'll keep an eye on your man here. I'm sure he'll be doing his mopey, 'I-miss-my-wife' thing like he did when we went to that medical conference last year."

"I did _not _mope," Troy argued, glancing around the table. "Well, maybe a little bit…"

"It's okay, sweetie," Gabriella assured him with a pat on his thigh. "Truth be told, I did some moping of my own while you were gone."

"True story," Kelly agreed. "Even the standard 'retail therapy' didn't work on her. Believe me, I tried! In fact, I think I spent enough for both of us!"

"Ah, the truth comes out!" Mark declared before raising his glass. "Let's toast to spending time with loved ones, both far and near."

.....~«ώ»~.....

Late the next evening, Gabriella's flight landed in New York City. Maria met her at the airport, and after settling into a taxi and giving the driver directions to her apartment, she eased her daughter's phone out of her hand and dialed Troy's number. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, sweetheart," he began. "How was your flight?"

"Hi, Troy, it's Maria," she told him.

"What's wrong? Is she okay?" He asked anxiously.

"She's okay, but she's looking pretty green right now," Maria told him, stroking a hand through her daughter's sweat-soaked hair. Gabriella rested weakly against her mother in the back seat of the cab. "She said she got sick several times on the plane."

Troy sighed, and Maria could picture him running his hand through his hair. "I was afraid that might happen," he remarked. "Long flights really take a toll on her."

"They have since she was little," Maria reported. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that she arrived safely. I'll have her call you when we get back to my place and get her stomach settled down."

"Thanks, Maria," he answered. "Take good care of her for me, okay? And tell her that I miss her and I love her."

"I will, Troy," she assured him. "We'll talk again soon. Bye."

.....~«ώ»~.....

Gabriella didn't call back that evening, and Troy did his best not to think about her discomfort and his inability to help her when she was so far away. The next day, during a break at work, he ducked into the doctors' locker room and dialed her number.

"Hey, baby, how are you feeling?" he asked warmly when she answered the phone.

"Better," she responded softly. Troy noticed that her voice lacked its usually cheer.

"No more nausea?" he tried again, hoping to draw her out.

"No, not since last night," she told him.

"Headache?" he persisted.

"I'm fine, Troy," she muttered.

"Gabriella, come on, talk to me," he pleaded. "I know something's wrong. Tell me what's going on."

She sighed heavily into the phone. "My cycle started this morning," she mumbled.

Troy rubbed his hand over his face, carefully considering his next words. Gabriella's cycles had been very unpredictable since she'd stopped taking birth control, and she hadn't had one in nearly six weeks. They'd both hoped she was pregnant, even though her most recent pregnancy test said otherwise.

"Is it light, or normal?" he asked. This was not a conversation he wanted to be having with his wife when she was on the other side of the country, but as a doctor, he knew that light bleeding was common in the early stages of pregnancy. Maybe there was still hope…

"Heavy," she replied dejectedly. "Really heavy. I'm sorry, Troy."

His protective instincts surged forward, shoving aside his disappointment. "There's no need to apologize, sweetheart. It'll happen when the time is right." His sincere words were met with silence on the other end of the line. "Honey, are you okay?" The choked cry that tumbled down the line broke his heart. "Gabriella, please don't cry. I know you're disappointed, but we'll keep trying." She still didn't respond, so he changed his tack in an effort to distract her. "Have you talked to your mom about it? What are you two doing today?"

"I haven't talked to her," her soft voice answered. "She had to go in to work for a little while."

Troy had to bite his tongue hard to stop the angry retort that nearly surged out of his mouth. Gabriella had traveled nearly 3,000 miles to see her mom, and was sitting alone in a strange apartment with no one to comfort her when she needed it. He measured his words carefully. "I'm so sorry, baby. I wish I was there, or you were here, so I could hold you and make you feel better. I miss you so much. You don't deserve to be alone right now."

"I miss you too," she nearly whispered. "I hate being so far away from you. Maybe this trip wasn't such a good idea."

As much as Troy wanted to hop on the next flight to New York to bring her home, he knew she would ultimately regret cutting her trip short. "Come on, sweetie, you've been looking forward to spending this time with you mom. It'll be several months before you get another chance to see her."

"Exactly," she replied, her voice strengthened with frustration. "I came here to spend time with her, but she can't seem to pull herself away from the office long enough to see me." She sighed heavily. "I don't know why I thought this time would be different."

"Because you love your mom, and you're an eternal optimist," he answered. "It's one of the many things I love about you." Her soft laugh made him smile.

"Well, I guess the trip's not a total loss," Gabriella commented. "I called Kelsi to tell her that I was in town, and she invited me to the show that she and Ryan are working on."

Troy felt a brief flicker of the old jealousy that he'd felt in high school regarding Gabriella's friendship with Ryan Evans. Just as quickly, though, he pushed it aside. There was no reason feel threatened, and if the thought of seeing her old friends cheered Gabriella up, then he wouldn't say anything to dampen her spirits. "So the Evans-Nielson writing team is still lighting up marquees on Broadway, huh?" he asked lightly.

"Well, Off-Broadway," she corrected. "This show could be the launching point for them, though, according to Kelsi. They got a really good review in the New York Post when the show opened."

"Wow, that's cool," he replied. "Just promise me that you won't fall in love with the bright lights of the big city and forget to come home to me."

"Never," she answered. "You know what they say... 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder.'" Her soft voice was back, and he heard another sigh slip out to punctuate her statement.

"I love you, Gabriella," he told her. "Two more days, and then you'll be back here with me, where you belong. In the meantime, have fun, and tell Ryan and Kelsi I said hello."

"I will," she murmured. "I love you."

.....~«ώ»~.....

When Maria called that afternoon to tell Gabriella that she had to stay late at the office for an overseas conference call, Gabriella decided that she'd been cooped up alone in Maria's luxury apartment long enough. She dialed Kelsi's number, and smiled when the composer's cheerful voice came across the line.

"Gabriella! Wow, two calls in one day… I feel so honored!" Kelsi teased.

"I'm the one that should be honored, keeping company with two of the hottest rising stars in New York City theatre," Gabriella laughed.

"Well, in that case, what can this 'rising star' do for you?" Kelsi giggled.

"My mom's working late, and I was wondering if you and Ryan might be free for dinner," Gabriella responded. "Unless you have a show tonight…"

"Not on Mondays," Kelsi replied. "Let me make a couple calls, and then I'll get back to you. I know a _great _restaurant that I'm sure you'll love."

As promised, Kelsi called back a few minutes later with plans set. She gave Gabriella directions from Battery Park City to Greenwich Village, explaining that the restaurant was within walking distance of their townhouse.

When Gabriella stepped out of the cab a few hours later, she glanced up at the building that Kelsi had directed her to, searching for the correct house number. Two small blonde heads bounced around in the window, and Gabriella heard excited shrieks as she rang the bell. Moments later the door opened, and she stood face to face with Ryan Evans. Like Troy, he'd grown and filled out since high school, but his beaming smile was exactly the same.

"Gabriella!" he exclaimed as he pulled her into a warm hug. "Wow, you look great! It's so good to see you!"

As soon as he released her, Kelsi grabbed her and hugged her just as fiercely. Like Gabriella, she _hadn't _grown since high school, although she was a bit pudgier than before. That, Gabriella guessed, had a lot to do with the towheaded sprites she'd spotted in the front window. As if on cue, they bounded into the room, two small bundles of energy with blonde curls and matching pink dresses.

"Girls," Ryan called, taking their hands as they approached their guest. "This is Gabi. She went to school with your mommy and me, but she lives far away, so we don't get to see her very often. Can you tell her hello?"

The older of the two girls stepped forward bravely, extending her hand. "My name is Molly Evans. I'm four and a half."

Charmed, Gabriella took the little girl's hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Molly. That's a very pretty dress… It reminds me a lot of your Aunt Sharpay."

Molly's eyes widened. "You know Aunt 'Pay?"

Gabriella laughed. "Yes, although I haven't seen her for a long time." She turned her attention to the little girl who was peeking out from behind her father's legs. "And who's this little cutie?"

"This is Abby," Ryan told her, swinging the child up into his arms. "She just turned two."

"Hi, Abby," Gabriella smiled. "Oh, Ryan, Kelsi, they're just beautiful!"

Ryan nodded proudly toward his wife. "They clearly take after their mother." Kelsi dipped her head, both pleased and embarrassed.

"Daddy, Aunt 'Pay said we're pretty because we look like her," Molly reported.

"I'm sure she did," Ryan mumbled.

Molly turned her attention back to Gabriella. "Do you have any kids?"

Gabriella flinched inwardly, but pasted a smile on her face. "No, not yet," she answered.

"When are you gonna?" the little girl persisted. "Aunt 'Pay says…"

"Okay, honey, that's enough," Kelsi mercifully interrupted. "Now that you've met Gabi, we need to get your pajamas on. Sierra will be here in a few minutes, and she'll fix a snack for you and read your bedtime story."

Molly bounded down the hall toward her bedroom, obviously anxious to get ready before the babysitter arrived. Kelsi followed her, and Ryan bounced Abby in his arms. "Make yourself at home, Gabi," he told her, motioning towards the living room. "We'll be back in a minute." He turned toward the bedrooms, laughing as Abby squealed and squirmed.

In the quiet room, Gabriella was enveloped in the painful reality of her difficulty conceiving a child. Instead of sitting on the plush sofa, she stood in front of the large window and stared at the street below. Her arms wrapped self-consciously around her waist, and she became so lost in her thoughts that she jumped when Kelsi touched her arm.

"Hey, are you okay?" Kelsi asked gently. "I'm sorry if Molly's questions upset you."

"It's okay," Gabriella told her. "I was just thinking about… wishing… that Troy and I… never mind."

"You want to have a baby," Kelsi filled in for her. It was a statement, not a question, and Gabriella turned in surprise. Kelsi shrugged. "Call it mother's intuition."

"We've been trying to get pregnant for almost four months now," Gabriella confessed. "We waited until we were settled in our careers, and… I guess I took for granted that it would happen right away once we were ready."

"Four months isn't that long," Kelsi pointed out. "I got pregnant with Molly right away, but it took eight months with Abby."

"Really?" Gabriella asked hopefully.

"Really," Kelsi nodded. "Whenever it happens, though, one thing's for sure. You and Troy are going to be amazing parents."

Gabriella couldn't speak as tears burned her eyes, so she pulled Kelsi into a hug. The doorbell rang, and Ryan strode through the room to answer it. Moments later he was back, followed by their babysitter. She waved at Kelsi and dutifully made her way toward the girls' bedrooms.

Ryan circled an arm around each woman's shoulders and squeezed. "Everything okay?" he asked. They both nodded, and he turned them toward the entryway. "Great, because I'm starving!" Laughing, they followed him out the door.

.....~«ώ»~.....

Ten minutes later, they made their way into a charming restaurant a few blocks away. The maître d' greeted Ryan and Kelsi and immediately seated them at their "usual table."

"Wow, you guys must come here a lot to get such personal attention," Gabriella observed.

Ryan winked across the table at his wife. "You'll soon see why."

The waitress arrived with menus, chatting warmly with Ryan and Kelsi before naming off the specials of the day. She concluded with the chef's special-recipe crème brûlée for dessert, proclaiming that it was the best concoction she'd ever tasted. Gabriella was listening so intently that she didn't notice Ryan and Kelsi chuckling behind their menus.

"Crème brûlée," Gabriella mused aloud. "It would have to be amazing to beat the recipe Zeke used to make…"

At that moment, a large figure stepped out of the kitchen, and Gabriella rubbed her eyes to assure herself that she wasn't hallucinating. It couldn't possibly be…

"Did I hear someone mention my name?" he asked jovially.

"Zeke!" Gabriella shouted, leaping to her feet to throw her arms around him. "What on earth are you doing here?"

He laughed. "I work here... I'm the sous chef. Kelsi told me you were in town, so I whipped up a special batch of crème brûlée just for you."

"I didn't know you lived in New York!" Gabriella exclaimed, still in shock.

"I went to Cornell University in Upstate New York to study Food Science," he explained. "After I graduated, I worked my way through every greasy spoon and hole-in-the-wall until I ended up in New York City. Then, about a year ago, Kelsi called to tell me that there was an opening at her favorite restaurant." He gestured around the dining room. "And the rest, as they say, is history!"

"That's amazing!" Gabriella replied. "My mom moved to New York last month, so I came to visit her while I'm on Spring Break."

"How's my man Troy doing?" Zeke questioned. "Why isn't he with you?"

"He just started a new rotation at the hospital, so he couldn't get time off," she explained. "He's a second-year resident, training for sports medicine and orthopedics."

"Wow, Troy, a doctor?" Zeke replied. "That's pretty cool!" His gaze returned to Gabriella. "Wait, Spring Break? You're still in school? How many degrees are you planning to get?"

Gabriella laughed. "I'm a law professor, not a student. I teach at Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco."

A crash came from the kitchen, and Zeke turned regretfully. "Sorry, I guess I'd better get back to work before they burn the place down. Order whatever you like… It's on the house. It's great to see you again. Tell Troy I said hi." With that, he turned on his heel and headed back to the kitchen.

Gabriella sat back down and glared playfully at her friends. "Okay, great set-up, you two. Should I expect any more surprises? Is Sharpay going to pop out and sing some show tunes for us?"

"No more surprises," Ryan assured her. "Besides, Sharpay doesn't live in New York."

"She doesn't?" Gabriella asked incredulously. "With all the success you two are having, I'm surprised she isn't here, demanding the lead roles in all of your productions."

"She was, and she did," Ryan said cautiously, glancing at Kelsi, who was chewing on her bottom lip.

"Uh oh." Too late, Gabriella sensed tension. "What happened?"

"We didn't cast her for one of our shows, and she didn't speak to us for nearly a year," Ryan told her as he reached over to grasp his wife's hand. "Kelsi thinks it was her fault, but really, it was a confrontation that was long overdue."

"I'm sorry," Gabriella murmured. "I had no idea."

"It's okay," Kelsi spoke up. "We've mended fences, and she comes to visit a lot now that we have the girls."

"Speaking of visits, are you two planning to come to the East High reunion in May?" Gabriella asked, hoping to steer the conversation back to neutral ground.

"Yes, we are," Ryan answered enthusiastically. "In fact, we were going to talk to you about an idea we had. Ms. Darbus is retiring at the end of the school year, and since our class was, as she always said, 'the best thespians in East High history,' we thought it would be fitting to put on a show in her honor the weekend of the reunion. Kelsi and I can put it together, and we'll use material from the shows we did when we were students there, so nobody has to learn new stuff."

"That's a great idea!" Gabriella exclaimed. "Wow, that'll be so much fun! Have you talked to Taylor about it?"

"No, we were hoping that you would," Ryan admitted. "Principal Matsui agreed to let us use the school's auditorium for the weekend. We can put the show together on Saturday morning, go to the reunion Saturday night, and then present the show on Sunday afternoon. It's perfect."

"You really think we can put a show together that fast?" Gabriella worried.

"Not a problem for two of New York's hottest rising stars," Kelsi teased, echoing Gabriella's earlier description. "Number one on the personnel list is a duet by East High's golden couple. What do you think?"

"I'm game, but you'll have a tough time convincing Troy," Gabriella predicted.

"Well, we figured if anyone could convince him, it'd be you," Ryan told her with a smile, and Gabriella nodded. That sounded just about right.

.....~«ώ»~.....

Sometime in the wee hours of the morning on Tuesday, Maria Montez awoke to hear her daughter moving around in the apartment. Pulling on a robe, she went in search of Gabriella and found her huddled miserably on the sofa, her arms wrapped around her middle.

"M'ija, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Menstrual cramps," Gabriella answered, trying to sound casual. The tension in her voice, however, told Maria that her daughter was in a considerable amount of pain.

"Have you taken anything?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, I took some aspirin about an hour ago," Gabriella reported. "It's not helping much."

"Maybe you should call Troy," Maria suggested.

Gabriella shook her head determinedly. "No. He can't do anything about it, and if I call him, he'll be up all night worrying."

"But he may be able to suggest some other medicine or treatment," Maria persisted.

Gabriella sighed. "Mom, women have been dealing with this kind of thing for thousands of years. It's not a big deal."

"When's the last time _you _dealt with this kind of pain?" Maria asked pointedly. "I don't recall you mentioning it when you were a teenager."

"It's probably just another stupid symptom from quitting birth control," Gabriella reasoned. "My cycles have been all over the place for the past few months—light, heavy, cramps, backaches, headaches, nausea—all this stuff that I haven't had to deal with before. I'm due to go back to my OB/GYN next month for more tests."

"I'm glad of that," Maria assented, "but what about right now?"

"I'll be fine, Mom," she insisted. "Go back to bed. You need your rest for our adventures tomorrow."

Reluctantly, Maria pushed to her feet. "Well, if you're sure…"

"I am," Gabriella nodded. "Good night."

"Good night, m'ija."

.....~«ώ»~.....

By morning, Gabriella was feeling better, and she and her mom spent the day shopping and sightseeing. That evening they went to see Ryan and Kelsi's show at the Cherry Lane Theatre, and afterwards they stopped by Zeke's restaurant for dessert. On Wednesday morning they packed a picnic and enjoyed brunch in Central Park before heading for the airport.

It was evening by the time Gabriella stepped off the plane in San Francisco, tired, nauseous, and happy to be home. As she waited at baggage claim, she pulled out her phone to call Troy to come pick her up. It went straight to his voice mail, and she left a message, sighing as she hung up. The baggage carousel started up, and she hypnotically watched the bags circle. A hand suddenly squeezed her shoulder, and she turned to look up into the face of the man she loved.

"Troy," she breathed as his arms circled her and he bent to lift her off the ground.

"Welcome home, baby," he murmured in her ear. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," she told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's good to be home."

"It's good to have you home, right where you belong," he answered, his voice husky. He gave her one more squeeze before lowering her feet back to the ground.

Unwilling to relinquish his hold on her, he took her hand, lacing their fingers together. Spotting her suitcase, he strode forward and grabbed it from the conveyor before guiding her toward the parking lot. They chatted as they walked, and Gabriella updated him on her mom and their friends. She told him about the show Ryan and Kelsi were putting together for Ms. Darbus, and to her surprise, he thought it was a great idea.

"Kelsi suggested that we should do a duet," she told him hesitantly. "I didn't know if you'd want to…"

"Do _you _want to do it?" he interrupted.

She looked up at him, wide-eyed. "Yeah, I do."

He nodded decisively. "Then I'm in." He laughed as her jaw dropped. "Don't act so surprised, sweetheart. I'd never pass up an opportunity to sing with my favorite girl. It's been too long."

"It _has _been a long time," she agreed. "Thank you, Troy. I can't think of a better way to wrap up our reunion weekend than being on that stage with you."

"Yeah." He squeezed her hand. "My partner in song, in love, and in life. Sounds pretty perfect to me."


	10. Sakura Birthday

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 10—Sakura Birthday**

_A/N: I recently read a book that sparked my interest in Japanese culture, and as I searched for a birthday activity for this chapter, I found information about San Francisco's annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which takes place in April. The cherry blossom (Sakura) is the national flower of Japan, and it seemed to weave nicely into the story. One other note… My writing schedule was disrupted by illness and a week-long hospital stay, but I'm happy to report that I'm finally on the mend and will hopefully not keep you waiting so long for the next update. Thank you for your patience and, of course, your awesome reviews!  
_**This chapter is rated M.**

* * *

Gabriella's birthday fell on the first Saturday in April, and she awoke feeling warm and snuggly in her husband's arms. They were lying facing one another, her cheek on his bare chest, and their legs twined together under the covers. She felt his breath stir her hair as his chin rested on her head, and she peeked up to meet his eyes.

"Hi," she murmured.

"Hey, birthday girl," he replied softly, stroking his knuckles across her cheek. "I'm sorry, I was going to fix you breakfast in bed, but I was enjoying holding you too much to get up."

"That's okay," she smiled, tracing a thick vein down the length of his arm with her fingertip. "This is my favorite way to wake up, with you." She giggled when he shivered at her ticklish touch.

His arm tightened around her, pulling her closer against his body, and his whiskers tickled her skin as he kissed her forehead. "I love waking up with you, too." His voice held a huskiness that she knew well, but he cleared his throat to refocus his attention. "So how does it feel to be the big 2-8?" he asked.

"You tell me," she returned with a smile. "You're more experienced than I am."

"Are you saying that I'm older and wiser because I'm six months older?" He grinned smugly, and she nodded. "Well, in that case, I'd have to say that you're the most beautiful 28-year-old I've ever met." He punctuated his statement with a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Now, what would you like for breakfast, my beauty? Your wish is my command."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought it over and decided on waffles with strawberries, and he gave her a lingering kiss before rolling away and pushing to his feet. She appreciatively watched the movement of his back muscles as he padded into the bathroom. _Not a bad way to start the day, _she mused. _Not bad at all._

.....~«ώ»~.....

Gabriella's choice of activity for the day was the Cherry Blossom Festival in the Japantown section of San Francisco. While Troy would normally have tried to get out of going to such an event, he wanted her to enjoy herself on her birthday, and more importantly, he wanted to spend the day with her. He was pleasantly surprised to find himself absorbed in the music, food, and culture of Japan as they strolled hand-in-hand through the streets. He even stopped to pluck a fragrant cherry blossom and tuck it into her hair. They watched karate demonstrations and a Yosakoi dance troupe from Berkeley, listened to music performances, sampled all kinds of Japanese delicacies, and took part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony. The event schedule even included a basketball jamboree at the Japanese Culture & Community Center, which Gabriella found quite amusing.

"How is it," she teased as they stopped to check it out, "that wherever you are, somehow, somewhere, basketball is involved?"

Troy shrugged and grinned. "It must be that masculine, basketball-y vibe that just follows me around. You married a jock, babe."

She laughed, the kind of hearty, carefree laugh that he loved to hear from her, and his heart soared. "Well, how does my masculine, jock husband feel about accompanying me to the Arts & Crafts Fair?"

He flinched exaggeratedly before slinging his arm around her shoulder. "I'm with you all the way, sweetheart. You were so engrossed in that Shishu demonstration this morning that the man could've woven you into his tapestry and taken you home with him."

She poked him and did her best to look scandalized, but her eyes danced with mirth. "It's embroidery, Troy, not weaving. But now that I think about it, I _do _like a man who's good with his hands…"

"Oh you do, do you?" he challenged before sliding behind her and dropping his hands to her sides to tickle her. She shrieked with laughter and squirmed in his arms.

"Troy! Troy, stop it!" she pleaded breathlessly. Then suddenly, her laughter halted and her breath seized. Her left hand dug into her back, just behind and below where his hand rested on her waist. Concerned, he spun her to face him and saw her pained expression.

"Sweetie, what is it?" he asked. "Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head, still breathing heavily from her laughter. He looked around and spotted an unoccupied bench nearby and walked her over to it. He eased her down onto the seat and knelt in front of her, covering her clenched hand with his own.

"Gabriella," he tried again. "What happened?"

She waved him off, indicating that she needed a minute, and he sat back on his heels, watching her intently. She took several deep breaths, and gradually he saw her taut muscles begin to relax. Finally, she looked up to see the concern on his face, and she forced a smile.

"I'm okay, Troy," she told him. "I had a pain in my back, but it's easing up now."

"Show me where," he urged, pushing to his feet. His fingers followed hers and he felt a small knot, most likely an overtaxed muscle. He continued to probe around her lower back, but found nothing wrong.

"I'm fine, Troy," she said again. "It's probably just because we've done so much walking today. Really, it's okay. It hardly hurts anymore." She took his hand and pulled him down to sit next to her.

"And the tickling didn't help, I'm sure," he confessed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be silly," she insisted with a smile. "I'm fine. Actually, I think what I need is to sign up for one of those Japanese massages we were reading about earlier."

He glanced up at her. "Over my dead body!"

"What? You would deny me the relaxing, sensual benefits of a Japanese massage?" she pressed lightly.

"Would I deny you? Of course not," he clarified as he regarded her seriously. "But there's no way I'm letting some beefcake masseur put his hands on you."

Gabriella had to stifle her giggle, realizing that Troy was being serious. He wasn't really a jealous man as much as he was just extremely protective of her. "A lot of massage therapists are women, you know. And _trust _me, there are a lot of _non_-beefcake masseurs out there."

Finally, his smile returned. "I'll tell you what… Let's head over to the bazaar, I'll buy a massage book and some oil, and then _I'll _be your beefcake masseur." He glanced sideways at her and winked. "Unless you'd _prefer _a female masseuse…"

"I prefer _you_," she told him firmly, lacing her fingers through his.

"Good," he nodded before standing and pulling her to her feet and into his arms. His gaze flicked between her eyes and her lips, and she knew what was coming.

She looked up at him with a grin. "It's not proper for masseurs to kiss their clients," she teased.

His eyes twinkled as he clasped his hands around her waist. "Good thing I haven't bought that book yet, then, because proper or not, I want to kiss my beautiful wife." True to his word, he bent his head and kissed her soundly, holding her tightly against his body. Her fingers threaded into his hair, and for a few moments, they lost themselves in the taste and passion of their kiss. A wolf-whistle from a passerby finally broke their spell, and she blushed as he released her.

"Bazaar?" he asked, his voice unmistakably husky.

"Let's go," she answered, unable to stop the wide smile that spread across her face as she told herself,_ Happy birthday, indeed!_

.....~«ώ»~.....

The next morning, Gabriella showered while Troy fixed breakfast, and, feeling frisky, she pulled on her new red silk robe. She'd admired it at the bazaar, with its kimono-like embellishments, but had balked at the price. Troy had insisted that she get it, along with the massage oils and book. After dinner with their friends, Troy had tried his hand at Japanese massage, and had turned out to be quite good… _too _good. She'd fallen asleep, and Troy, always the gentleman, had curled up with her and called it a night. She planned to make it up to him as soon as the breakfast dishes were cleared.

After they ate, Gabriella cleaned up the kitchen while Troy went to shower. While she waited, she flopped onto the sofa and opened her laptop to check her e-mails. Predictably, there were a number of birthday messages from family and friends, and one from Taylor with an attachment. Rolling her eyes, she clicked to open the file and found a massive spreadsheet and equally massive set of instructions. She leaned forward as she scrolled through the information, groaning at Taylor's request to send out _another _mailing about the show that would take place the weekend of the reunion to honor Ms. Darbus's retirement.

"What's that?" Troy asked as he reappeared from the bedroom. She turned to answer, but her breath caught as she took in his tousled wet hair and freshly shaven face framing his dancing blue eyes. All he wore was a pair of basketball shorts and boxers that peeked over the waistband. Beads of water clung to the hair on his chest, and he grinned disarmingly at her.

Flustered, she turned back to the computer screen. "Oh, um, it's just that… Um, Taylor sent me another mailing to um… send out…" Her train of thought derailed as he slid onto the couch behind her. His long legs rested around hers, and he pulled her back into his chest.

"Send out…?" he prompted, his breath hot in her ear.

Her mind raced, trying futilely to remember what she'd been saying, until Troy's hands slipped around her waist and tugged at the knot holding her robe together. "T-Troy…" she choked.

"Are you _really _thinking about work right now?" he challenged. His hand slipped inside her robe to fondle her breast.

"I… um… was just checking… uh…" she tried again, until his other hand pulled the bottom half of her robe to the side to reveal her thigh. "What are you doing?" she whispered breathlessly.

His chest rumbled against her back as he chuckled, and he stretched forward to nip her ear with his teeth. At the same time, his hand crept up her leg to touch her intimately. "I'm pleasuring my woman," he murmured into her neck. "I remember you saying something about liking a man who's good with his hands."

She tried to turn, to lower herself onto the hardness that she felt pressing against her back, but he held her firmly in place. _She _was supposed to be seducing _him, _she told herself just before her mind short-circuited completely. "Troy," she whimpered.

"Shh…" he insisted. His fingers spread her gently, feeling her legs quiver as he circled and fondled her clit. His other hand continued to stroke and tease her nipple, and he pinched it at the same time he slipped a finger deep inside her. She cried out, unprepared for the assault of sensations rippling through her body, and her head lolled back on his shoulder as he stroked her. Placing hot kisses against her neck, he added another finger and thumbed her clit. Her hips thrust against his hand, her arousal heightened by the coolness of his wedding ring against her hot flesh.

"Tr-ooyy," she moaned.

He smiled against her skin, absorbing her small noises of pleasure. Her arousal thrilled him, made him feel like he was king of the world because he was the one doing this to her, making her crazy with need. "Yeah, say my name, baby," he ordered softly.

"Troy, please," she begged.

He slowed his pace, making her whine with disappointment. "'Please' what, baby?" he teased. "What do you want?"

Under normal circumstances she might've hit him for torturing her so cruelly, but at the moment, her sole focus was on him finishing what he'd started.

"P-please," she stammered, pushing her hips against his stilled fingers. "Touch me, Troy. Make me c-come…"

Before she'd even finished the sentence, his fingers were pumping into her again, faster and harder. Her hands clutched his knees as she strained into his touch, and her head thrashed back and forth, tickling the hair on his chest. Her moans became whimpers, and her thighs began to shake from the building tension. He nuzzled her neck, his muscled straining to hold her in place as she bucked against him. "Yeah, that's it, baby," he purred.

Suddenly she froze, held captive at the pinnacle of her orgasm, before she tumbled down into the bliss of her release. He felt the powerful vibrations around his fingers, and continued to stroke her gently until she collapsed backwards onto him, completely spent and sated. He could feel her heart pounding against his chest, and he shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position for his painful erection.

"Wow," she sighed contentedly.

He smiled broadly. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

"You can say that again," she breathed.

"Oh, I plan to," he replied, the huskiness in his voice unmistakable. She wriggled her hips suggestively against his hardness, forcing a moan to bubble up from deep in his chest.

"What do you say we do something about that little issue?" she propositioned.

He managed a choked laugh. "I'd say it's a pretty _big _issue at the moment, thanks to you and that ridiculously sexy robe. But I'm not finished with you yet."

Her protest was silenced as he set her on her feet, pushed himself up and swept her into his arms to carry her to their bedroom. He lowered her to the bed and pushed the robe off her shoulders. "You won't be needing that anymore," he announced as he hovered over her.

Soon his intimate touch was back, driving her upward again, and she squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation. She suddenly felt his hands brace on the bed beside her, and she moaned as his penis slipped inside her. Instead of thrusting, though, he settled his body on top of hers and held himself still. Resting on his elbows, he cradled her head in his hands and lowered his lips to her ear.

"Gabriella," he whispered. "Can you feel me inside you?"

Her eyes remained shut, and she let out a tiny whimper as she nodded. It was sweet, cruel torture.

"Do you like it?" He swirled his hips, and she nodded again.

He stared down at where their bodies were joined, and then spread her lips and touched her again. Right _there_, and she came off the mattress. He moaned low in his throat.

"That's right, baby," he whispered, and found her breast, kneading, pinching, twisting. "Come for me again."

"No, you," she panted. "It's your turn."

His mouth curved. "Oh, I'm gonna come. With you, in you, and we're going to make a baby."

She smiled. "That's the best birthday gift I could ever wish for."

Troy kissed her hard, sweeping his tongue deep into her mouth to taste her sweetness. Their love-making progressed rapidly, and he rolled her to her side and spooned her, entering her from behind. His thrusts quickened, but somewhere in the drug-like haze that enveloped him, he became aware that Gabriella's normal gasps and cries had turned into whimpers. He forced himself to slow down and pushed up on his elbow to look at her. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and her fists clutched the sheet below her so hard that her knuckles were white.

"Gabriella?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, Troy," she bit out. "Please, don't stop."

"You're obviously not fine," he countered. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she persisted. "Could we maybe change positions? That might help."

He pulled out and eased her onto her back. He hovered over her, trying to determine whether to continue or investigate further. His body screamed at him to plunge back into her, but his protective instincts warned him that something wasn't right. His decision was effectively made, however, when her fingers wrapped around his penis, realigned their bodies, and thrust her hips upward to take him back in. Troy's body reacted, his hips jerking to bury him inside her, to the hilt. The nearness of his peak came roaring back, and his eyes closed tightly as he fought to maintain a shred of control. His thrusts resumed at a frenzied pace, and he could feel the first twitches of his orgasm approaching when Gabriella suddenly cried out in obvious pain. But he was too far gone. His mind told him to stop, but the primal force of his body refused. Two more thrusts, and he exploded inside her.

"Troy, stop! Please! It hurts! Stop!" She cried from beneath him. A sob forced its way up her throat, and he belatedly registered what he'd done. The momentary euphoria of his release vanished as crushing remorse washed over him. Quickly he pulled out and rolled onto his side, gathering her in his arms.

"I'm _so_ sorry, baby," he insisted, realizing the inadequacy of his words. "Please, Gabriella, talk to me."

Her face was buried in his chest, and her body shook as she cried. He'd never felt so terrible in his entire life. Judgment and self-condemnation careened through his mind. _What kind of man are you? How could you do this to her? After everything she's been through… _

"Gabriella, _please_…" he choked out as tears pricked his eyes.

"It's not your fault, Troy," she whispered into his chest. "I should've stopped you sooner. It was hurting, and I thought I could get through it, but it kept getting worse…"

He gripped her shoulders and drew her away from his body, pulling them both up to sitting positions. His arm circled her waist, and he lifted her chin to look at him, brushing her teary cheeks with his thumb. "What do you mean? Sweetheart, if I was hurting you, why didn't you tell me right away? I don't understand."

She shook her head. "I don't know. I've had some… discomfort… a few times lately. I thought it would pass."

His eyes narrowed. "Discomfort during sex? Gabriella, why haven't you said anything before?" Her eyes dropped, and suddenly he was angry. "How could you let me _hurt _you and not tell me? Our relationship is supposed to be about love and honesty and trust! Damn it, Gabriella, I made a promise to take care of you. How the hell am I supposed to make love to you when I'm wondering whether you're in pain and _lying _to me about it?"

He moved away from her then, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and pulling on his boxers. Stung by his harsh words, she wrapped her arms around her waist self-consciously as more tears fell.

"I haven't lied to you," she argued softly. "I just didn't… want to say anything about it."

He shook his head. "Not telling me… keeping me in the dark about something like this, especially when it affects me too… it's just as bad." He turned back to look at her, and his voice dropped. "Why?"

She didn't meet his gaze, and for a few moments he wondered if she was going to answer him. Finally, she drew a shaky breath. "I want to get pregnant, Troy," she admitted quietly. "So much. If I'd told you I was hurting, you would've stopped, and… it would've been a... lost opportunity." She looked up at him searchingly, her eyes pleading for him to understand.

"Sweetheart, pain during sex is not normal, especially when we've been together for so long." He shook his head, his anger beginning to diffuse at the vulnerability in her voice and posture. "I want to have a baby with you, but not at the expense of our intimate relationship. If we can't communicate about this, how are we going to be able to communicate as parents?" He looked down at his hands, fidgeted with his ring, and drew a deep breath. "It would be a good idea to see Dr. Grant soon… as soon as possible. I think… something might be wrong…"

Her eyes blazed as she turned on him. "Nothing's _wrong _with me, Troy! You're just saying that to get back at me because I didn't tell you about the pain. But you're wrong!" She slid off the bed, grabbed her robe, and stalked toward the bathroom. In the doorway, she turned back. "Maybe I'm already pregnant, Troy! Did you think of that? Maybe _that's _the reason for the discomfort."

"Gabriella…" he began, concerned by her frantic denial.

"No, you're wrong, Troy!" she shrieked. "I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with me. That's it, I'm already pregnant. That's the only explanation." She slammed the bathroom door, and Troy's heart sank as he heard muffled cries on the other side. He approached the door and knocked gently.

"Baby, please come out," he pleaded. "Let's talk about this face to face. Please don't shut me out."

"I'm sorry, Troy." Her response was muffled. "Please, just… just leave me alone."

He hesitated, torn. Finally he cleared his throat. "I'll leave you alone for a little while, but when you're ready to talk, I'll be here. We're going to get through this together. I love you, Gabriella."

He heard a sniff, and then her tiny voice replied. "I love you too."

She waited until she heard him get dressed and leave the bedroom before she allowed the full force of her tears to consume her. She hated that they'd fought, but most of all, she hated that he was right. She'd pushed aside her fears, explained away her suspicions for weeks, months. But she couldn't deny it any more. She knew it. Something _was _wrong with her, and she prayed for strength to withstand the heartache that was to come.


	11. Delayed Dreams

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 11—Delayed Dreams**

Two days later, Gabriella waited nervously in the office of her OB/GYN. After a discussion of symptoms and a thorough pelvic exam, Dr. Grant had sent her to the hospital next door for an ultrasound, MRI, and sonohysterogram. Now Gabriella sat alone in a consultation room, waiting for Dr. Grant to look over the test results and return to discuss them with her. There was a soft knock on the door, and Gabriella looked up with surprise when Troy walked in. He was wearing his dark blue scrubs and a white lab coat with his hospital ID clipped to the pocket.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I got off work a little early, and I thought I'd stop by and see how things are going," he told her with a charming smile.

Her eyes narrowed. "Now who's not being totally honest, Troy?" she asked pointedly, gesturing at his attire. "You usually change before you leave the hospital."

He raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, you weren't answering your phone, so I called to see if you were still here, and Dr. Grant told me about the tests and suggested that I come and keep you company while you're waiting. If you'd rather be alone, I can leave."

"No, stay," she answered quietly. It _did _make her feel better having him there. Though she didn't want to admit it, she was nervous about what Dr. Grant might find. The ultrasound had strengthened her hope that she might be pregnant, although the technician who'd done the procedure had refused to give her any information about what he'd found.

Troy settled into the chair beside her and reached for her hand, noting her nervous expression as he rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "Don't read anything into it, sweetheart. Dr. Grant just thought it would make you more comfortable to have me here." He glanced at her sideways. "Which I would've been in the first place if you hadn't insisted you could do it alone."

"There was no need for you to take time off just to sit here and listen to me talk about my menstrual cycles and fertility issues," she insisted with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"It affects me too, though, if there's some kind of problem," he pointed out. "Besides, I _want _to be here with you. There's no need for you to deal with this alone."

"I'm going to the bathroom," she suddenly announced, obviously attempting to flee the uncomfortable conversation.

By the time she returned, they gave up trying to hide their nerves from one another. Gabriella's hands knitted together in her lap, while Troy paced the perimeter of the small room. Worst-case scenarios careened through his mind. He knew that Gabriella still clung to the hope that she was pregnant, but his medical training suggested that there was another reason that the doctor had called them both in.

They were pulled from their reverie when Dr. Grant entered the room and closed the door gently behind her. Troy returned to his seat and took Gabriella's hand in his. She forced a smile at him before turning a hopeful gaze on the doctor.

Dr. Grant shook her head sympathetically. "You're not pregnant, Gabriella. I'm sorry."

Gabriella sagged in her seat, and Troy slid his arm around her.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long, but I wanted to get a clear picture of what's going on. I found some abnormalities during your pelvic exam. That's why I ordered the other tests," Dr. Grant explained. She paused to pull several images from her folder and slid them into the lighted display beside her. "Gabriella, you have several myomas, or fibroids, in and around your uterus." She pulled out her pen to point to the images on the screen. "Fibroids are non-cancerous, but they _can _affect your ability to become pregnant." Beside him, Troy heard Gabriella inhale sharply.

Troy cleared his throat. "Why haven't they shown up in her routine exams before?"

"Most likely because of their location," Dr. Grant continued. "There are at least five that the tests revealed. Only one has grown into the uterine cavity. There are two subserosal tumors, meaning that they are projecting from the uterine wall to the outside of the uterus. The other two are pedunculated tumors. They grow on stalks outside the uterus."

Gabriella glanced between Troy and the older woman. "I don't understand. Where did they come from? Why now?"

"Fibroids are generally dormant; many women never even know they have them," the doctor explained. "I suspect that in this case, their growth was stimulated when you stopped taking birth control. It's related to the change in hormone levels. The symptoms you've had since going off of birth control are consistent with these types of fibroids, and the symptoms have gotten worse as the fibroids have grown."

"What about the fertility problems you mentioned?" Troy asked carefully, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

"Well, each type of fibroid has the potential to interfere with pregnancy, but the submucosal tumor, in particular, is most often related to fertility problems, because it can interfere with the implantation and growth of an embryo." Dr. Grant leaned back in her chair, tenting her fingers in front of her. "The pain that you've been experiencing lately, though, is my more immediate concern. The pedunculated tumors are attached to the outside of your uterus, but they can move around in the abdomen. If they twist on their stalks and cut off their blood supply, they can rupture and permanently damage your reproductive organs."

Troy swallowed hard to control his emotions as he felt a shudder jolt his wife's body, and he rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her. She was speechless, her eyes shimmering with tears. "So what's the plan?" he asked Dr. Grant. "Where do we go from here?"

She leaned forward. "I want to do exploratory surgery as soon as possible," she told them. "I can remove the pedunculated fibroids and get a better look at the other tumors so I can determine the best course of action. It's a straightforward laparoscopic procedure, with just a few small incisions in your abdomen. You'll only have to stay in the hospital overnight."

Gabriella finally managed to push past her shock to speak, albeit softly. "Then what?"

"Well, once I have a better idea what we're dealing with, we'll discuss our options," Dr. Grant answered.

"Such as?" Troy pressed. He had an inkling of what the options were, and he didn't like any of them.

"Again, I won't know until I get a clearer picture of how the tumors are situated, so I can only speak in general terms," she replied cautiously. "Removal of subserosal and submucosal fibroids is more complicated because it requires cutting into the lining of the uterus. There's a higher risk of damage and scar tissue." She paused, glancing between the couple in front of her. "The worst-case scenario would be if a large percentage of the uterine wall is affected. In that case… we might have to consider a hysterectomy." Troy's jaw dropped, and Dr. Grant held up her hand. "Again, that's the worst-case scenario. I'm optimistic that I can remove all of the fibroids without taking out your uterus."

"Taking out…" Gabriella gasped. "No! Then I won't ever be able to have children." She looked desperately at Troy. "Please, Troy, there has to be another way! We can't… _I _can't…" Her tears overflowed, and Troy shifted to take her in his arms.

Dr. Grant leaned forward and placed her hand on her patient's knee. "Gabriella, I know this is all scary for you, but I'm hopeful that it won't come to that. It's my responsibility to make you aware of all possible outcomes, but rest assured, I've done hundreds of procedures like this, and I am optimistic that we'll be able to get them all out with little or no lasting damage. If everything goes as planned, you should be able to get pregnant within just a few months."

Gabriella trembled in Troy's embrace as tears poured down her face. Troy's voice pushed past the thickness in his throat. "When… when can we schedule the exploratory procedure?" he asked somberly.

"As soon as we can get the arrangements made," Dr. Grant told them. She pushed to her feet and squeezed Gabriella's shaking shoulder. "I'll have my nurse set it up and then contact you to give you the details. Please call me if you have any questions."

Troy nodded numbly. "Thank you."

After checking out, Troy walked Gabriella to her car, knowing that she was far too upset to drive. He opened the car door for her and waited until she was settled before circling the car to climb into the driver's seat. He slid one arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him, brushing his thumb across her tear-stained cheek.

"Gabriella…" he began before realizing that he had no idea what to say. She looked at him miserably, silently begging him to make it better. So he did what came most naturally—wrapped his arms around her again and held her as she cried silently. Finally, she pulled away, signaling that she was ready to go home, and he slid the key into the ignition.

By the time Troy pulled into the driveway at home, Gabriella had retreated into herself, her arms wrapped protectively around her waist. Her tears had been replaced by a vacant expression that scared Troy. He helped her out of the car and led her into the house. She moved like a zombie, and he guided her to their bedroom, pulled back the covers, and laid her down. He pulled off her shoes and his own and laid down beside her, pulling her back into his embrace. At that moment, she broke, and Troy held and rocked her as deep, painful sobs wrenched their way out of her small body. Her pain was nearly more than he could bear, and tears stung his eyes as he whispered comforting words into her hair. A few times he tried to pull back, to get her to talk, but she only burrowed her face more deeply into the soft material of his scrubs.

It seemed an eternity, but finally Gabriella cried herself to sleep, and Troy eased out of bed, pausing to make sure his movement hadn't wakened her before he crept into the living room. By then it was nearly dark outside, and he absently turned on a lamp and wandered over to the bookshelf. He scrubbed his hands over his face, trying to focus his troubled thoughts, before his gaze landed on his medical textbooks. Desperately needing an escape from the emotions that threatened to overwhelm him, he pulled several volumes from the shelf and deposited them on the coffee table.

For a couple of hours, he allowed himself to detach, his analytical mind working as if he was studying for an exam rather than learning about the masses that threatened to destroy his dream of having a baby with Gabriella. On the East High basketball court, Troy's dad had always told the team that the best way to prepare to face an opponent was to learn about them and adjust the game plan accordingly. So Troy read about Gabriella's condition and scribbled notes on scrap paper, making columns and lists of symptoms, pros and cons of various procedures, and possible outcomes. When she calmed down, he knew Gabriella would have questions, and he wanted to be prepared to answer them, to better understand the situation so he could help her get through it.

Finally mentally and physically exhausted, and he closed his books and turned off the light. Then he returned to bed and curled up with his wife. He considered waking her so they could talk, but he couldn't bear to pull her from the sanctuary of her slumber. After his research, the uncertainty was a little less frightening, but the weight of the situation won over, and his eyes burned with tears as he slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep.

...~«ώ»~...

The next morning, Gabriella woke just after sunrise, before the alarm clock went off. She eased out of bed and dressed quickly, anxious to get out of the house before Troy's alarm went off. She watched him sleeping peacefully for a moment before she pulled the bedroom door shut, and she had to fight back a fresh bout of tears. She wasn't ready to face him yet, to see the disappointment and pity in his eyes, to hear his reassurances that everything would be all right when she knew that if they couldn't ever have a baby, _nothing _would be all right. What if Troy didn't want to be with a woman who couldn't give him children? She couldn't stand the thought of being infertile _and _losing Troy. It was too much to bear.

She wrote him a quick note to tell him that she had to get to school early to grade some papers, and then, realizing that Troy's car was still at the hospital, she added a message that she would call Mark and ask him to pick Troy up on the way to work. It felt strange, leaving the house without sharing breakfast and kissing Troy goodbye. More tears stung her eyes as she quietly shut the front door on the way out.

When Troy's alarm went off, he immediately noticed that Gabriella wasn't in bed with him. Most days, he got up before she did, and on the rare occasions that she got up first, her movements always stirred him awake. He got up to go to the bathroom, and then walked to the kitchen, hoping she was there. Instead, he found her note, rereading it several times to try to detect how she was feeling and why she'd really left so early. He returned to the bedroom to retrieve his phone and dialed her number, and was a bit surprised that she answered. He'd almost expected her to ignore his call, although she probably knew that he wouldn't give up until he knew she was all right.

"Hi," she answered softly.

"Hey, sweetheart," he replied. "I missed seeing you this morning."

"I left you a note," she told him, her voice small.

"I saw it. I just wish we could've talked before work," he said. "We _need _to talk about this, Gabriella."

She sighed. "I know, Troy. I just need some time to… to process everything. I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed by the whole thing." Her voice quivered, and she cleared her throat.

"I'm sure you are… I am too, but we need to stay positive, okay?" he soothed. "I really believe that Dr. Grant will be able to get this taken care of." She was silent on the other end of the line, and Troy guessed that she was fighting back tears. "Gabriella, I need you to know that whatever happens, we're going to get through it _together_. Please don't shut me out. I want to be here for you. I love you."

She sniffed, and the tremor in her voice was unmistakable. "I love you too, but I have to go, Troy. Dr. Lentz just got here, and we need to go over our class lesson plans for today. I'll see you tonight."

"I'm going to call you later this morning to check on you," he insisted.

"You don't have to…" she began, but he cut her off firmly.

"I don't _have _to, I _want _to," he told her. "I love you, baby. Be strong, and have a good day. Bye."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy actually called _several _times throughout the day to check on her, and Gabriella tried her best to bury herself in her work so she wouldn't have to think about the frightening possibilities. She also got a call from Dr. Grant's office, setting up the exploratory surgery for that Friday. When Gabriella came home from school, Troy was already there. She'd been holding back tears all day, and when he held open his arms in invitation, she walked into them and let herself cry.

He held her there for awhile, and as she began to calm, he guided her to the sofa and handed her some tissues. His arm slid around her shoulders, and his hand rested on her thigh. He waited until her chin lifted and her gaze met his before he spoke.

"Sweetheart, yesterday was pretty overwhelming," he began. "I understand why you're upset, but I'd like for you to tell me what's in your head. What's scaring you the most?"

She laughed bitterly. "What's scaring me? The possibility that we may never be able to have a baby together. There are these… _things… _growing inside me, and I want them out, but not if it means losing my uterus."

"A hysterectomy is a _possibility_, not a certainty," Troy pointed out. "Dr. Grant seems confident that it won't come to that."

"But the possibility still exists," she argued. "It's a possibility that I have to face, and you have to face it too, Troy. What if I can't carry your baby? What if we can't have a family together?" More tears slid down her cheeks, but she held his gaze.

He touched her cheek tenderly. "Gabriella, I want to have a baby with you, but if that doesn't happen, there are other ways to create a family. My biggest concern is your health, and if the only way for you to be healthy is to remove your uterus, then that's what we need to do. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. We don't have to worry about that yet. One step at a time, sweetheart. We'll get you through your exploratory procedure, and then we'll deal with whatever comes next. As long as we're together, we can do this."

"Are… are you sure you…? I mean, maybe you should think about…" Her eyes dropped and she sighed as if gathering strength for her question.

He knew what she was trying to ask, and he lifted her chin again. "There's nothing to think about. _I love you,_ Gabriella. You're my wife, my soul mate, my lover, my _partner_. We are going to do this _together, _because that's what we promised each other on our wedding day. Understood?"

She nodded silently, and for the first time since her doctor visit, she managed a small smile. "That's my girl," he praised, leaning in to kiss her tenderly.

Gabriella allowed herself to relax into her husband's embrace, to believe his assurances that they would get through this together, and to think that maybe, just maybe, things would turn out all right.

...~«ώ»~...

On Friday, Gabriella was prepped for surgery, and as she waited to be taken to the operating room, she watched Troy. He held one of her hands in both of his and glanced frequently at the clock. Her giggle pulled him out of his reverie.

"Are you laughing at me?" he asked, feigning hurt.

"Never," she lied with a smile. "What are you so nervous about? You're not the one who's about to be poked, prodded, and scoped."

"It would be easier if I was," he admitted. "Sitting out here while you're in there… I know everything will be fine, but surgery is surgery, and there's always a risk…"

"Troy Bolton," she interrupted. "You've been telling me all week to be positive and not assume the worst."

He grinned sheepishly at her. "I did say that, didn't I?" She nodded patiently. "Okay, well, let's just say I'll be glad when it's over."

"Me too," she agreed.

The curtain was pulled back then, and the nurse announced that she was there to take Gabriella to surgery. Troy stood, reluctant to release her hand, and bent to kiss her.

"I'll see you in a couple of hours, baby," he told her huskily. "I love you."

"I love you too, Troy," she answered easily. "See you soon."

...~«ώ»~...

As Gabriella started to regain consciousness in the recovery room a few hours later, she was instantly aware of Troy's presence beside her. Her hand again rested in his, and his other hand stroked her hair and face, coaxing her awake. She was too tired to open her eyes, but she mentally took inventory. Her head hurt, and her throat was painfully dry. Her abdomen hurt too, quite a bit. The beep of a machine beside her seemed unusually loud, and even through her closed eyelids, the lights overhead seemed far too bright.

"Mrs. Bolton?" a harsh female voice called from somewhere in the room. "Mrs. Bolton, it's time for you to wake up." Gabriella moaned softly in response.

"Hey, sweetheart," a much kinder and more familiar voice spoke. "Can you open those beautiful eyes for me?" She forced her lids open a sliver, and was rewarded with a bright smile. "Hi," he murmured.

She attempted a 'hi' in return, although it came out sounding more like a grunt. Her eyes slid closed again.

"Would you like some ice chips?" Troy continued. "Your throat's probably dry from the anesthesia." She nodded weakly, and his arm slid under her shoulders to raise her up. She opened her mouth when she felt the spoon touch her lips, and he dropped a small piece of ice in and then lowered her back to the bed.

"Thanks," she managed, taking another peek at him.

"Anything for my favorite girl," he smiled. It was probably just the anesthesia, but Gabriella thought she saw the nurse roll her eyes behind Troy.

Her eyes dropped shut again, just for a second, or so she thought. When she reopened them, she was in a private hospital room and the grumpy nurse was gone. Troy sat reading nearby, and when she turned toward him, her movement caught his attention. He snapped his book shut and reached for her hand.

"Hey, gorgeous, how are you feeling?" he asked solicitously.

She attempted to shift positions in the bed and grimaced. "Ow," she gasped.

He reached over and pressed the call button by her bed. "You're due for some pain medication," he told her. "They wanted to wait until you were more awake to give it to you."

Sure enough, the nurse came in with needle in hand, and wasted no time injecting the fluid into Gabriella's IV. Troy nodded his thanks, and she left as quietly as she'd come in. Then his attention returned to his wife, and he helped her shift to a more comfortable position before sitting on the bed next to her hip.

"What did Dr. Grant say?" she asked cautiously.

"She got the two pedunculated fibroids out with no problems," he told her, his voice neutral. "And she took biopsies and measurements on the tumors that are still in your uterine lining."

"And?" Gabriella pressed, pinning him with her gaze.

"Sweetheart, maybe we should talk about this later," he hedged. "When you're feeling better."

"Troy, I don't want to talk about it later," she insisted. "I've waited all week, and I want to know what she found."

He smoothed his thumb over her hand. "Well, the subserosal fibroids—the ones that project outside the uterus—seem to be removable. They aren't embedded as deeply in the uterine wall as she thought, so that's good news."

"What else?" she pushed.

He glanced down briefly, and then seemed to force his gaze back to hers. "There are _two _submucosal tumors projecting into your uterus. They've grown together, which is why Dr. Grant thought there was only one there. She's pretty confident that those two fibroids are the reason you haven't been able to get pregnant."

"So she can take them out, then, right? And then I can get pregnant?" Gabriella's voice quivered as she sought Troy's reassurance.

"Most likely, yes," he answered carefully.

"'Most likely?'"

"That's all she said," he told her. "She wants to consult with another surgeon, and go over the test results, and she said she'd come back to talk to us in the morning."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're not holding out on me, are you? Is there anything else you're not telling me?"

His hands raised in surrender. "That's all I know, promise. But sweetie, I really think it's going to turn out okay. Now, I don't want you to worry any more about this tonight. You need to get some rest."

Her eyelids _were _feeling heavy again, but she fought fatigue for one more minute to squeeze her husband's hand. "Is it _really _going to be all right, Troy?" she asked dreamily.

He smiled then, a genuine smile at how cute she looked hovering between consciousness and sleep. "One way or another, Gabriella, I promise you, we're going to be just fine."


	12. Fragile Hearts

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 12—Fragile Hearts**

Gabriella was released from the hospital the next day, and although the doctor had warned her to take it easy for a week or so, she quickly immersed herself in schoolwork, wedding plans, and reunion preparations. Her second surgery was scheduled to take place just over two weeks after her exploratory procedure, on the Monday after Gabriella's spring semester ended. Troy was concerned for her, not just that she was working too hard, but that she was avoiding having to face the news they'd received before leaving the hospital. Dr. Grant had estimated a 75% probability that she could remove the tumors and leave Gabriella's uterus intact. The wild card, however, was the scar tissue left behind. It could prevent an embryo from implanting in the uterus, or enable the growth of more tumors. After the second surgery, Troy and Gabriella would have a limited window in which to try to get pregnant before more tumors had time to form. No one could predict what would happen down the road, and the uncertainty was difficult for the young couple to deal with.

Troy tried for several days after her release from the hospital to get Gabriella to talk about her feelings, but he sensed that she was hanging on by a thread, clinging to the normalcy of her daily routine to keep from falling apart altogether. He trusted that she would talk about it when she was ready, so he simply held her, took care of her, and loved her. Still, his heart ached for her and the questions that filled their future.

One week after her exploratory procedure, Gabriella sat on the couch at home, grading case summaries and lab reports. Troy had called and said he would pick up dinner on his way home so she wouldn't have to worry about cooking. Her stomach growled, and she glanced at the clock to see how much longer it would be until he got home from work. Her incisions from surgery were healing nicely, and the soreness in her abdomen was mostly gone. Her hand rested absently over her stomach, and she allowed herself to imagine for a moment what it would feel like to be pregnant with Troy's child. Just as quickly, she pushed away the thought, unwilling to consider that it may never happen. She blinked rapidly, trying to fight back the tears that were never far away, and bent her head over her papers again.

She managed to lose herself in her work again, and stopped only when the front door opened and Troy bustled in. She steeled herself and turned to greet him pleasantly, but her words died in her throat. He looked haggard and exhausted. His hair was a mess, his eyes were red, and his shoulders slumped. He didn't look at her, but strode over to the dining room table and dumped the carryout bags there. When he returned, he cleared away the papers that Gabriella had spread out on the couch and sat next to her. She started to protest that she had too much to do, but his look silenced her. He took the pen and papers from her hands and laid them on the coffee table, and then took her hands in his, fortifying himself with a deep breath.

"Gabriella, I've been tiptoeing around you, trying to let you do things your own way, in your own time, and if you don't want to talk to me, I have to respect that. But I want to talk about this, and I'm hoping you'll respect that too. You don't have to say anything, just listen."

She nodded, and he took another deep breath before forging ahead. "I spent all afternoon in the ER trying to save a young woman with a ruptured spleen. They taught us in medical school about staying detached from the patient, not getting caught up in emotions, just treating their medical conditions. But it's so much harder to stay detached from the family members you're _not _treating. This woman's husband was there, and he was absolutely frantic. He was about my age, and all I could think about was how I'd feel if I lost you. Sweetheart, I would lose my mind. I don't want to know what my life would be like without you. I love you, and I need you to be healthy and strong so we can have a good life together. Every day, with all the stress of my job, I get through it because I get to come home to you. _You're _my home, Gabriella. Please tell me that you understand that."

The tears in her eyes spilled over. "I do, Troy, because you're my home too. That's what scares me."

He touched her arm. "Why does it scare you?"

"Because I can't bear to think what I would do if you decided… that, well… that you don't want to be with me anymore," she stammered, not looking at him. "Because I… might not… be able to… have a baby."

He forced his voice to remain level, though part of him wanted to shout at her. "Gabriella, I don't understand, after everything we've been through, how you could possibly think I would leave you because of that. We're bound together. We're a family. Why on earth would you think I would give that up?"

"Because everyone in my family has left me," she whispered, silent tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Wait, what?" His mind scrambled to understand.

"Daddy died," she answered, so softly he had to lean closer to hear her. "And his parents too. Mom lives 3,000 miles away, and my grandparents moved back to Mexico and I never see them…" She looked up at him miserably. "Please don't leave me, Troy," she whispered.

"Gabriella, look at me," he instructed firmly, cupping her face in his hands and sweeping away her tears with his thumbs. "I am not going to leave you. Ever. For any reason. I love you." She started to interrupt, but he stopped her with a finger on her lips. "_I love you._ You're my life. I could never leave you, because if I did, I would never be whole again. You're the other half of me. My _better _half. I always thought it was corny when my dad said that to my mom, but now I totally understand it. Maybe we'll have a baby, and maybe we won't, but what matters most to me is that I get to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. No matter what happens, we'll get through it together. The vows that I made to you on our wedding day… I meant every word. I'm not going anywhere, baby. I promise. And I keep my promises."

She launched herself into his arms then, and he held her as she cried. Later, after they reheated and ate their dinner, they finally talked—_really _talked—and a weight seemed to lift from Gabriella's shoulders. As she drifted to sleep that night, nestled against Troy's warm body, she finally allowed herself to dream of her life, her future with the man she loved.

.....~«ώ»~.....

The following Saturday, Troy had to work, and Gabriella used the day to grade final exams and enter semester grades. Her surgery was two days away, and uncertainty continued to weigh on her mind. When Troy came home, he coaxed her to change out of her sweats, insisting that she needed to get out of the house for awhile. An hour later, he guided her through one of her favorite restaurants, his hand on the small of her back. She brightened when they reached the table where Mark and Kelly were waiting for them. Their friends stood to hug her, and Kelly squeezed Troy's arm supportively.

"Troy didn't tell me you guys were going to be here," Gabriella exclaimed. "What a nice surprise!"

Troy beamed at her as he pulled out her chair. "They weren't sure until an hour or so ago whether they'd be able to make it. They've been putting together their gift registry today." He settled next to his wife, draping his arm comfortably across the back of her chair.

Gabriella clapped her hands enthusiastically. "How fun! When we got married, that was one of my favorite things to do."

Kelly tossed an eye roll toward her fiancé. "Yeah, well, I bet Troy didn't try to register for things like surfboards, beer, and video game consoles!"

"Hey, it's supposed to be stuff we can use when we're married," Mark argued good-naturedly. "I can _totally _use that stuff! And it's better than all that frou-frou china, flatware, goblets, and linen. I didn't realize I was marrying a 19th Century English aristocrat!"

"And I didn't realize I was marrying a Neanderthal!" Kelly retorted, though a smile quirked the corners of her mouth. "Pardon me for not wanting to entertain guests with paper plates and old beer mugs."

Gabriella giggled. "Troy didn't try to add anything like that, but I _do _remember seeing a basketball hoop and some Lakers apparel on our registry list." She smiled sweetly at her husband. "They didn't quite make the final cut."

Troy gasped. "_You_ took that stuff off our registry? No wonder we didn't get any Lakers stuff with our wedding gifts!" He nudged Mark across the table. "I did get that hoop, though!"

"Not because of the registry," Gabriella replied drily. "You can chalk that up to your dad and a wedding party full of lunkhead basketball guys."

"Hey," Mark feigned hurt. "_I _was in the wedding party!"

"I rest my case," Gabriella nodded smugly. The foursome laughed as the server appeared, halting their pseudo-argument. After their orders were placed, the couples settled back into their chairs.

"_Other _than the gift registry, how are the wedding plans coming?" Gabriella asked.

"The invitations are going out this week,_"_ Kelly reported. "Boy will I be glad when _that's _done!"

"Do you need help?" Gabriella asked, suddenly feeling guilty that she hadn't already offered. "I could probably do some tomorrow after I finish grading…"

Kelly shook her head firmly. "Absolutely not. You have enough on your plate right now, and you've helped me so much with everything else. Once you've recovered from surgery, I'll be happy to put you back to work, but no wedding stuff for a couple weeks."

Gabriella's face fell, and she glanced down at her hands, which had begun fidgeting on the table. Kelly reached across the table to cover Gabriella's hands with hers at the same time that Troy's arm dropped around his wife's shoulders and pulled her closer.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry," Kelly added. "We're trying to get your mind _off _of surgery on Monday, and I had to go and run off my big mouth."

"It's okay," Gabriella responded. "It's pretty hard _not _to think about it. I'll be glad when it's done."

"We both will," Troy added solemnly.

Kelly squeezed Gabriella's hand. "I know you're worried, but everything's going to turn out okay."

"Yeah," Mark chimed in. "Dr. Grant's one of the best. She'll take good care of you."

Gabriella nodded silently, willing herself not to cry as she felt Troy's fingertips caressing her arm. She looked up at him, and he smiled tenderly at her.

"Are your parents going to try to make it out to see you while you're in the hospital?" Mark asked.

Troy glanced meaningfully at his wife. "We haven't told them."

"They don't know?" Kelly asked incredulously. "About any of this?"

Gabriella's chin lifted stubbornly. She and Troy had disagreed about whether to tell them, but she was adamantly against it. "I don't want them hovering around here like vultures, waiting to find out whether they'll ever be able to have grandchildren."

"Come on, sweetheart, they care about you," Troy argued. "You're not being fair."

"Fair?" she retorted. "There is nothing _fair _about any part of this situation."

Mark cleared his throat. "Gabi, you're right, this whole thing totally sucks, but your mom and Troy's parents love you and want what's best for you."

"Yeah, when you're going through something tough like this, why wouldn't you want to surround yourself with as much support as possible?" Kelly mused.

The fire drained from Gabriella's eyes, and she sagged in her seat. Troy had made the same points in their earlier discussion, but somehow hearing it from their friends drove the point home. She waved her hand noncommittally toward Troy. "Call your parents if you want to, but I'm still leaving my mom out of it. I don't want to hear another round of excuses about how busy she is. I don't think I can take any more."

The tears she'd been fighting back finally spilled over, and Troy pulled her close, stroking her hair gently as she cried against his shirt. Self-conscious about making a scene in such a public setting, she excused herself to go to the restroom, and Kelly stood to accompany her. Left alone, the two men sighed heavily.

"Wow, she's really having a hard time with all this," Mark observed. "Sorry, man… I had no idea."

Troy ran his hand through his hair. "She's so… fragile right now. The uncertainty is tearing her apart. There's a 75% chance her uterus will remain intact, but it's that other 25% that's keeping her up at night. It's a lot to deal with."

"What about you? How are _you_ dealing with it?" Mark asked.

"It's hard… I _want _to have a baby with her. It's something we've planned for and talked about for years, even before we were married." Troy answered carefully. "But right now, my number one priority is Gabriella. Once she's healthy and back to normal after surgery, _then _we'll try for a baby, or, if necessary, explore other options."

"Good for you," Mark nodded. "Sounds like you're keeping everything in perspective."

Troy shrugged. "That's the logical, meet-the-problem-head-on part of my brain. Then there's the part, the _larger _part that adores my wife and hates to see her suffer." His hand sliced through his hair again. "Damn it, I hate that I'm a doctor and I can't fix this!"

Mark quirked an eyebrow. "Guess you picked the wrong area of concentration, dude. I would never have pegged you for a gyno type, but there are worse things than looking at ladies' plumbing all day long."

His ribbing had the effect he'd hoped for—Troy smiled. "'Ladies' plumbing?' On behalf of the women of San Francisco, I'm glad _you_ didn't choose that area of concentration either."

They both laughed, a welcome relief from the tension. Troy stood when Kelly and Gabriella returned from the bathroom, face washed and tears banished. She gave a Troy a brave smile as they took their seats, and he leaned in to kiss her forehead. Then he pulled her hand into his lap, lacing their fingers together, and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

The men glanced at one another, not sure whether to keep talking about the surgery or change the subject. Gabriella decided for them when she leveled her gaze across the table. "So, Mark, I'm supposed to ask you about your golf outing last weekend with Kelly's dad and brother."

"Kelly!" Mark moaned. "You promised you wouldn't tell anyone about that!"

"Extenuating circumstances," Kelly defended, winking at Gabriella. "I needed something _really _good to cheer Gabi up."

"In that case, I'm feeling a little depressed myself," Troy announced with a grin. "I _definitely _need to hear this story!"

"I'll get you for this," Mark muttered to Kelly under his breath. She beamed in return, unconcerned by his threat. "It's not that big of a deal," he told his friends. "Kelly's dad decided to take me golfing, some kind of 'welcome to the family' ritual or something. Kelly's brother Kevin went too. Her dad hit his ball into a water trap on the ninth hole, and I was trying to score some brownie points with my soon-to-be father-in-law, so I went to retrieve it."

"And?" Kelly prompted giddily.

He glowered at her. "I fell in."

Troy and Gabriella laughed until Kelly held up her hand. "Mark, darling, you left out part of the story."

"Kelly, _darling, _I think that's all they need to hear," he said through gritted teeth.

"Come on, Mark _dah-ling,_" Troy put in, exaggerating the syllables with a dreadful accent. "We simply _must _hear the rest of this delicious tale!"

Mark crossed his arms like a pouting child and kicked his friend under the table, which only caused Troy to laugh harder. Kelly leaned forward to share the rest of the story. "What Mark failed to mention is that there were a pair of geese nesting on the bank of the pond, and when he fell in, they thought he was threatening their nests."

Gabriella's eyes grew wide. "Oh, no! The geese attacked you?"

"Chased him all the way to the next fairway," Kelly supplied gleefully. "According to Kevin, he screamed like a little girl!"

"I did _not_ scream like a little girl!" Mark protested indignantly. "Those little monsters were hissing and trying to bite me! They're a menace to society!"

The women laughed so hard that tears streaked down their cheeks, and Troy guffawed heartily at his friend. Mark finally broke down and laughed along with them, pleased to see his friends happy and carefree, at least temporarily. Their food arrived, and they laughed their way through the rest of the evening.

.....~«ώ»~.....

On Monday morning, Gabriella was prepped for surgery, and Troy waited with her in the pre-op area. The procedure would be laparoscopic, using several smaller incisions rather than one large one, but because it would be more invasive and complicated, Gabriella would have to stay in the hospital for several days. She was noticeably nervous and fidgety as they waited, but she held herself together bravely. Her most difficult moment came when the nurse brought consent forms for her to sign, including on that authorized Dr. Grant to remove her uterus if she determined that there were no other options. Gabriella's hand shook as she held the form and read it carefully, and tears once again burned her eyes. Troy leaned forward to take her hand.

"Sweetheart, you know she won't take it out unless she absolutely has to," he reminded her gently. "We've talked about this. No matter what happens, we're going to get through it together."

She nodded and hastily signed the forms before her resolve faltered. The nurse took the papers and told Gabriella that she'd be taken to the operating room in a few minutes. When she pulled the privacy curtain shut and left them alone, Gabriella's eyes immediately turned to Troy. He smiled down at her, shifting to sit on the edge of her bed next to her hip. His left hand settled next to her other hip, caging her securely, and his right hand lifted her fidgeting hands from her lap. He brought each one to his lips and kissed them gently.

"I guess I'll see you in a few hours," he told her with a wink. "Don't fall for any hot young doctors on your way to the O.R."

She smiled. "My surgeon is a woman, and besides, I already fell for a hot young doctor years ago."

"Anybody I know?" he teased.

She giggled and poked him in the stomach. "No, I've been _very _careful to make sure you and he never cross paths." She pretended to look chagrined. "Ooh, and now my secret's out."

"Hmm," he mused with a grin. "I can't speak for anyone else, but _this _doctor fell hard for a beautiful, sexy lawyer. I'm pretty sure you know her." He heard movement outside the curtain and knew the nurse was back to take her to the operating room. His gaze grew intense. "I love you, Gabriella. I'll be here when you wake up. I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart. Ever. I promise."

"Thank you," she told him softly. "I couldn't do this without you. I love you, Troy."

He leaned down and kissed her tenderly, first her forehead, then her cheeks, then the tip of her nose, and finally, her mouth. She kissed him back eagerly despite the nurse's presence behind him. He broke the kiss reluctantly and stepped back as the nurse released the bed's brakes and raised the railings on each side. He walked alongside her until they reached the elevator, and then bent to kiss her once more.

"See you soon," he whispered against her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied.

The giant door slid open, and the nurse wheeled Gabriella into the elevator. Troy watched until the doors closed, feeling his heart tug as the elevator ascended. He sighed heavily and wandered toward the doctors' lounge. Once there, he pulled out his phone and called his mom, allowing her soothing reassurances to calm his nerves. He promised to let Lucille know as soon as the surgery was over, and when he ended the call, he hesitated only a moment before bringing up Maria Montez's number on his screen. Gabriella might be upset at him for calling her, but he believed that Maria had a right to know what was going on. He dialed and listened to her voice mail message before briefly explaining the situation and asking her to return his call. Finally, he sunk onto one of the couches and stared up at the clock by the door.

There was nothing left for him to do but wait.


	13. Mending Hearts

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 13—Mending Hearts**

As Gabriella eased into consciousness following surgery, her first awareness was of pain—hot, searing pain that enveloped her stomach and abdomen. She could hear voices in the room, and feel movement around her, but she couldn't focus on anything but the pain. Her throat felt like she'd swallowed razor blades. She whimpered, her mouth dropping into a frown, and almost immediately, the bed dipped as someone sat beside her. Tender fingers stroked her face, and she felt warm breath on her cheek.

"Gabriella? Sweetheart, it's Troy. I'm here. Surgery's done… you're in your room. Can you hear me, baby?" His fingers slid into her palm. "Squeeze my hand, Gabriella."

It seemed to take a tremendous amount of effort, but she finally twitched her fingers enough to let him know that she could hear him. His sigh of relief was audible even through the fog of anesthesia, and a moment later she felt a cool cloth laid on her forehead.

"I love you, sweetheart," he told her huskily. "So, _so _much. I was worried about you."

She whimpered again, unable to voice the questions that took shape in her mind. Her skin felt hot and prickly, and she welcomed the relief of the wet cloth as Troy carefully swabbed her face, neck, chest, and arms.

"Does that feel good?" he asked solicitously. She managed a nod, and he retreated into the small bathroom, wet the cloth again, and returned to continue his task. "You had an allergic reaction to one of the medications they gave you during surgery," he explained. "I noticed the rash as soon as I saw you in recovery."

"P-pain," she croaked.

His big hand cupped her cheek. "They'll give you some pain meds once they're sure your reaction is under control. Try to rest, okay?" Another small nod. "Good girl. I'll be here with you when you wake up." His lips brushed her forehead. "I love you, baby."

Gabriella told herself that she should reply to his endearment, but her body rebelled, dragging her back into unconsciousness before she could form the words.

...~«ώ»~...

When she woke again, though, Troy _wasn't _there. As she stirred, a man's hand grasped hers, but she knew immediately that it wasn't Troy's. It didn't feel right, and there was no gold band on the fourth finger. She forced an eyelid open to see Mark sitting beside her.

"Hey, Gabi, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"T-Troy?" she forced out, suddenly afraid that he was gone.

"He'll be back in a few minutes," Mark reassured her with a squeeze of her hand. "He hasn't eaten all day, so Kelly practically dragged him out of here to go get something from the cafeteria."

A small smile quirked the corners of her mouth. Kelly wasn't one to take 'no' for an answer.

"How do you feel?" Mark repeated.

"Nauseous," she told him weakly.

He stood and went into the small bathroom to retrieve a basin for her. "Troy said you had a nasty reaction to one of the drugs they gave you during surgery."

"Which one?" she wondered.

"There's no way to know for sure," he answered. "They gave you several… It could have been any of them."

She nodded, allowing her eyes to drift closed again. It didn't particularly matter to her right then. Her head swam, and she reached for the basin, pulling it under her chin as her stomach churned. Mark understood and raised her into a sitting position, circling his arm around her shoulders to hold her steady. She cringed as pain lanced through her abdomen at the change in position, and her stomach seized the opportunity to reverse itself just as Troy and Kelly walked into the room. Troy rushed to her side, circling the bed to sit opposite Mark and stroking a hand over her matted hair. Kelly retrieved a glass of water and a wet cloth from the bathroom, and as soon as Gabriella finished and Mark laid her back down, Troy swabbed her face. Mark went to empty the basin, and Kelly left the room to check with the floor nurse about when Gabriella's next dose of medicine was due.

Gabriella looked up miserably at Troy, immediately seeing the lines of worry that creased his face. "I'm okay, Troy," she told him softly.

He forced a smile. "Hey, which one of us is the doctor here?"

Mark returned to her side. "Yeah, Gabi, I'd say you're outnumbered."

"But I'm the one who's had surgery…" Suddenly she realized that she hadn't been told the outcome of the surgery. She looked up at Troy, her eyes wide. "Troy, is it…? Did Dr. Grant…?"

"I'm going to go see what Kelly's up to," Mark announced, leaving the room and pulling the door shut behind him. Troy picked up Gabriella's hand and raised it to his lips.

"Troy, just tell me," she insisted. "Did she take it out?"

He looked at her seriously before a grin appeared. "She didn't take it out. You still have your uterus."

It was the answer she'd been hoping for, but she was still surprised to hear it. "Really?" she asked.

"Really," he nodded. "She removed the tumors, but there's no way to know whether the scar tissue will prevent a pregnancy from implanting."

"But she thinks we can get pregnant?" she asked breathlessly.

"We're sure going to give it our best shot," he affirmed. "But first we need to get you healed up and back on your feet. You'll have vaginal bleeding for a week to ten days from the surgery, so no sex allowed until that stops." She pouted adorably, and he leaned down to kiss her, sucking gently on her protruding bottom lip. "Don't worry, baby, I'll make sure it's worth the wait."

Her eyes flared with heat for a moment. "You're always worth the wait, Troy," she murmured. Her eyelids started to droop again, and when she fell asleep, it was with a knowing smile on her lips.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella drifted in and out of consciousness for the remainder of the day. Her stomach eventually settled, and the rash from her allergic reaction began to fade. Late the next evening, Troy sat next to her bed and watched her sleep. He'd called his parents to update them, and he smiled as he glanced over to see the beautiful flower arrangement they'd sent for their daughter-in-law. He'd also left another message for Maria, letting her know that the surgery was over and had apparently been successful, but much to his disappointment, she hadn't called back.

Beside him, Gabriella stirred, and he reached over to brush her hair away from her face. His touch coaxed her eyelids open, and she managed a small smile for him. She looked more coherent than she had the previous day, and he grinned down at her.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," she answered before glancing around the room. "What time is it?"

"Why, do you have somewhere to go?" he teased.

"No, I just… wondered…" She trailed off. "Are you supposed to work tomorrow?"

"A short shift," he told her.

"You should go home and get some rest," she replied.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" He was joking, but she sighed in irritation.

"No, I'm not trying to get rid of you, Troy," she said tersely. "I'm just saying that if you stay here all night, you'll be dead on your feet tomorrow."

"Hey, hey, sweetheart, I was just kidding," he soothed.

She dropped her head remorsefully. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just… ready for all this to be over." She waved her hand vaguely toward the medical equipment surrounding her, and Troy caught it, lacing their fingers together.

"It's okay, Gabriella," he answered. "You've been through a lot, and you're allowed to get frustrated once in awhile. The hard part is over. Soon we'll be back home and this will all be behind us."

She smiled up at him. "Thanks, Troy. You're wonderful."

He winked at her. "I have to be to deserve you."

She blushed cutely. "Stop it."

"I only speak the truth," he insisted lightly, bringing her hand to his lips for a kiss.

"I'd like one of those here, please," she teased, pointing to her lips.

"As you wish, my love." He stood and leaned over her, settling his lips gently on hers. They kissed sweetly for a minute before separating with matching smiles on their faces.

"Mmm," she hummed.

"My thoughts exactly," he agreed.

Her eyes suddenly widened as she remembered something. "Troy, we have to figure out what song we're going to sing for Ms. Darbus's retirement show! It's only a couple of weeks away!"

He laughed heartily as he hovered over her. "How on earth did we go from kissing to Ms. Darbus?"

She blushed again. "I wasn't thinking about Ms. Darbus. I was thinking about _you_, and us singing together again. There was always something magical when we sang together."

"That's true," he conceded, settling back into his seat without relinquishing his hold on her hand. "Let's see… We could do something from _Twinkle Towne._ That was the first show we did together. How about _'Breaking Free'_?" He smiled nostalgically at her. "I kissed you for the first time when we sang that song at our callback."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "On the cheek. I don't think that counts."

"Hey, give me some credit," he argued. "A real first kiss shouldn't take place in front of an auditorium full of people."

She giggled. "But a _gym _full of people is okay?"

He feigned hurt. "Hey, I was excited. Heat of the moment. Triple victory. And if Chad hadn't interrupted us…"

"I'm glad he did," Gabriella interjected softly.

"What?" Troy gaped. "Why?"

"Because when our first kiss actually happened, it was quiet and romantic, and we were _alone,_" she explained with a warm smile.

He smiled back at her. "Ah yes, you make an excellent point."

"What about _'What I've Been Looking For'_? I always thought that song fit us well in the early stages of our relationship," she said.

"That's a good one," he nodded. "We could also do something from the _Midsummer's Night _show at Lava Springs. It wasn't technically a school show, but all of us were in it, and if I remember correctly, Ms. Darbus was in the audience."

"Of course she was in the audience," Gabriella replied with an eye roll. "Sharpay always made sure Ms. Darbus was there to see her perform."

"We could do _'You are the Music in Me',_" Troy went on. "Kelsi wrote that song for us, and we never got to perform it."

"Yeah, thanks to Sharpay," she answered with a touch of bitterness.

"I didn't perform it with her either," he pointed out.

"Okay, fine, that's on the 'maybe' list," she conceded. "Along with _'Everyday.' _Everybody liked that one."

"Agreed," he nodded. "What about the _Senior Year _musical? What was our duet? _'Just Wanna Be With You.' _That's a good one." She snickered, grasping her side. "Why is that funny?"

"It's not," she giggled. "I was just picturing all of us trying to do the prom number now. That would be a disaster!"

"If nothing else, it'd be a good way for me to round up some new Ortho patients," he chuckled.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed. "Although I'm not sure you could handle the choreography any better than our friends."

"Hey, I'm in shape!" he argued.

"Do you remember how sore we were after we learned that dance?" she reminded him. "And we didn't even use it in the final show."

"Yeah, that was a shame," he answered. "That was some of Ryan and Kelsi's best work. But you're right—it was hard work. I vote that we stick to a ballad."

"Sounds good to me." A yawn pulled at her face, and Troy glanced at his watch, surprised at how late it was.

"I think that's my cue to leave so you can get some rest," he told her. "I'll be back first thing in the morning." He stood and leaned over her again, claiming her lips in a soft kiss. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too," she murmured, her eyelids already growing heavy again. "Good night."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella was released from the hospital on Wednesday, and after his shift ended, Troy took her home and got her settled. Her recovery was slow but sure, and being home definitely bolstered her spirits. She continued to deal with pain, fatigue, and occasional nausea, but Troy had been right—the hard part seemed to be over.

When Troy came home from work on Friday, he found his wife reclining on the sofa with her laptop on her lap and papers scattered across the coffee table. She smiled up at him, and he leaned over the back of the couch to give her a kiss.

"How was your day?" he asked as he circled the couch to sit beside her, pulling her slender legs across his lap.

"Fine," she answered. "Mom called."

"Oh? How's Maria doing?"

"Okay. She wanted to know how I was doing after surgery."

Troy held up his hands in surrender. "Sweetie, I know you didn't want me to call her, but…"

She halted him with a finger on his lips. "It's fine, Troy. I would've told her today if she hadn't already known about it."

He frowned slightly. "I called her on Monday. Why is she just now calling back?"

"She's been in London all week," she answered. "She got your messages when she got home."

His frown deepened. "Don't you find it a little strange that your mom leaves the country for days, sometimes weeks, at a time without letting you know? What if there was an emergency? We'd have no way to reach her."

Her eyes narrowed, and her voice held a warning tone. "If we needed to reach her in an emergency, we could contact the company. But she's a grown woman, Troy, and she's free to come and go as she pleases."

"She comes and goes as she pleases for _business,_" he returned pointedly. "For personal reasons, like visiting her daughter, I don't think that's true."

Her voice rose. "She's busy, Troy. Let it go."

"Okay, okay," he consented, uninterested in arguing again over Maria's priorities. He glanced at the papers on the table. "What are you working on?"

Relieved at the change in topic, she handed him a sheaf of papers from the arm of the couch. "Taylor thought it would be neat to make a booklet for the reunion that has bios of everyone in our class. You know, where they went to college, what they do for a living, spouses, kids, et cetera. That way we don't spend half the evening answering questions about what we've been doing since graduation. It's actually a really good idea."

Troy made an effort not to sigh. "Taylor thought it would be neat… but you're the one doing it."

She glanced up at him. "She's swamped with the Primary elections coming up next week."

"You just had surgery," he countered.

"It's not overly taxing to sit and type on my laptop," she pointed out. "I rest when I get tired."

He realized that the papers spread across the coffee table were information sheets. "Taylor had everyone send their information to you." It was not a question, but a statement.

She faltered, realizing that it did seem as though Taylor was taking advantage of her. "Yes. But really, Troy, I don't mind. It's actually pretty interesting to read what everyone's been up to."

She gestured to the papers he'd let fall on his lap, and he picked them up to flip through the pages. There were neatly typed paragraphs for each member of their class, listed in alphabetical order. She resumed her typing as he scanned the lines in search of familiar names. He slid his arm around Gabriella as he read about his friends and teammates.

_**Zeke Baylor**__ graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Food Science. He works as a sous chef at Iago's Restaurant in Greenwich Village, New York City. Zeke and his fiancée, Jasmine, plan to marry in October. Their daughter Tiara is 6 months old._

_**Troy Bolton**__ is an alumnus of UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco Medical School. He is a second-year resident at the UCSF Medical Center, with specialties in Sports Medicine and Orthopedics. Troy lives in San Francisco with his wife Gabriella (Montez)._

_**Martha (Cox) Brightman**__ attended USC to study Business Marketing with a minor in Theatre Dance. She lives in Los Angeles, where she owns and operates a dance studio with her husband Jim. They are expecting their first child in August._

_**Jason Cross**__ earned a diploma from Albuquerque Community College, and has held a number of retail positions. He is currently an Assistant Manager at Lava Springs Country Club._

_**Chad Danforth**__ graduated from the University of Albuquerque with a degree in Physical Education. He is a P.E. teacher and assistant basketball coach at South Santa Fe High School. He and his wife Taylor (McKessie) reside in Santa Fe with their 11-month-old son Eli._

_**Ryan Evans**__ graduated from Juilliard with a degree in Dance. He is a sought-after choreographer in the New York theater circuit, and has written and produced a number of off-Broadway shows with his wife, composer Kelsi (Nielson) Evans. They reside in New York City with their daughters Molly (4½) and Abby (2)._

_**Taylor (McKessie) Danforth**__ attended Yale University to study political science. She works as a public affairs consultant at the firm of Waters & Wade. She lives in Santa Fe with her husband Chad and their 11-month-old son Eli._

_**Gabriella (Montez) Bolton**__ earned undergraduate and graduate law degrees from Stanford University. She is an Associate Professor at UC Hastings College of the Law, and resides in San Francisco with her husband Troy._

_**Kelsi (Nielson) Evans**__ attended Juilliard to study Music Composition. She has won a number of awards for her compositions, and was selected, along with her husband Ryan, for Juilliard's prestigious Composers and Choreographers Feature Concert. She and Ryan live in New York City with their daughters Molly (4½) and Abby (2)._

"Wow, sweetie, this is really good," he complimented before flipping through the pages again. "What, nothing about Sharpay?"

He felt her tense for a moment before she pulled out a pink piece of paper from the stack beside her. While most of their classmates had sent a few simple sentences about their lives, Sharpay's bio was a full page long. Troy whistled as he took it from Gabriella's hand.

"I haven't figured out how to condense it," she explained, and as Troy read over it, he could see why. Sharpay, or rather, Sharpay's _agent, _had listed every role in every production she'd been involved in for the past ten years. After attending U of A, she'd spent several years in New York City, just as Ryan had told Gabriella. Most surprising, however, was that she was currently appearing in a show in Las Vegas. The description of the role was noticeably vague, but Troy guessed that it involved a lot of pink.

"Wow, she's doing theater in Vegas?" he noted. "I didn't see that one coming."

Gabriella snorted. "You know Sharpay, always full of surprises." She added under her breath, "Or at least, full of _something._"

"Come on, babe, I'm sure she's changed since high school," Troy commented diplomatically.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," she replied. "She's not married, but she's made sure to let everyone know that she's bringing her 'entourage' to the reunion. And since it's at Lava Springs, there's not much we can do about it." She looked at him earnestly. "She'd better stay away from you, though."

He chuckled and stroked his thumb across her cheek. "Gabriella, it doesn't matter whether she comes after me or not. My heart belongs to _you._ I made a lifelong commitment to _you. _And I'm going to the reunion with the most beautiful woman in our class on my arm."

She smiled back at him. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just don't trust her, but maybe she really has changed. We'll see." Her gaze returned to her computer screen, but she looked up again when Troy grabbed a pencil from the coffee table and made several notations on the papers in his hands.

"What are you doing?" she asked, confused.

"I'm revising my bio," he told her with a wink. "The facts are all there, but there are a few details that you left out." He wrote some more, and then proudly handed her the top sheet and sat back as she read the revised version:

_**Troy Bolton**__ is an alumnus of UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco Medical School. He is a second-year resident at the UCSF Medical Center, with specialties in Sports Medicine and Orthopedics. Troy lives in San Francisco with __the love of his life, Gabriella. Every morning he pinches himself to make sure he is really married to such an incredible woman, and every night he goes to sleep with a smile on his face, holding his wife in his arms._

She blushed deeply. "Troy, I can't use this. People will think I wrote it."

"No way," he countered. "You would _never _write something like that about yourself. You're way too modest. I, on the other hand, have no problem telling the world what a lucky man I am. But if you prefer, we'll keep this version just between us."

"I think that'd be best," she answered shyly before raising her hands to touch his face. "Thank you, Troy. You're an amazing man, and a wonderful husband. I'm the one that's lucky."

He could've argued that point—he was already forming a protest in his mind—but it evaporated when she leaned forward to kiss him. He pulled back just long enough to move her laptop from her lap to the coffee table, and then gently pulled her into his lap. His arms encircled her, his lips descended on hers, and he sighed with deep contentment. He thought about the last line he'd added to his bio: _'holding his wife in his arms.' _He wouldn't want it any other way.


	14. Fear and Frustration

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 14—Fear and Frustration**

It was just before 7:00 am Monday when Mark walked into the hospital's gym and scanned the area in search of his friend. He and Troy had a long-standing routine, dating back to their days at Berkeley, of meeting three or four mornings a week to run, lift weights, or play basketball. He spotted Troy in the weight room doing bicep curls, and walked across the hardwood floor to the open door. Troy had obviously already been there awhile. His shirt was off, and his chest glistened with sweat. His hair was soaked too, and there were two empty water bottles on the floor near the weight bench.

"Yo, dude, did we change our meeting time?" Mark asked. "I thought we said seven."

"We did," Troy grunted. "I woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep, so I figured I'd get an early start."

Mark frowned. Troy had always been an early bird, but the only times he'd know him to be _this _early was when Gabriella was away. Mark often teased him about being whipped, but the truth was, he couldn't blame Troy for his reluctance to leave Gabriella's bed. He felt the same way now that Kelly was a part of his life. There was something pretty perfect about waking up next to your lover and starting the day together.

"Where's Gabi?" Mark asked.

Troy shrugged. "At home."

"Is she okay?" Mark pressed.

Troy glanced up at him. "She's fine. Why?"

Mark's frown deepened. "She just had invasive surgery a week ago. I'm not sure 'fine' is an accurate assessment."

"She's sore, tired, and still has some discharge." Troy's voice held an edge of irritation. "She has a follow-up appointment with Dr. Grant on Thursday. Any other questions?"

"Yeah, what's your problem?" Mark asked pointedly. Troy's head dropped as he continued his curls, and Mark's eyes suddenly widened with realization. "Oh! So you mean she… and you can't…"

"Can't have sex until Dr. Grant says it's okay," Troy confirmed grimly. "So yeah, I'm a little… frustrated."

"How long has it been?" Mark asked.

Troy paused his exercise to answer. "3½ weeks. Almost four. Not since before her first surgery. We've _never _gone this long…" He bit his lip and resumed his curls at an almost frantic pace.

"Not even when she…?" Mark hesitated, knowing that Troy didn't like to talk about the attack Gabriella had barely survived more than a year earlier.

"Not even then," Troy finished for him. He paused to look up at his friend. "You know that I would never push her to do anything before she's ready, but…" He frowned miserably. "It's _hard._"

"And that's what got you out of bed so early this morning," Mark concluded. "The inability to do anything about that 'hardness.'" His mouth twisted into a smirk. "So no sex for Gabi… but why can't _you _do anything to relieve the pressure?"

Troy shook his head. "I could never ask her to do that for me when I can't reciprocate. I mean, she's offered, but… no. Besides, she's been too sore and tired to have much interest."

Mark laughed. "Dude, you know there are ways to take care of it by yourself, right?"

Troy shook his head again and drew a breath, but his words were cut off by another voice from the doorway.

"Aw, how touching," Carl Rogers sneered. "Bolton's got a bad case of blue balls. What's the matter, Bolton? Not satisfying the little woman anymore, so she decided to take her business elsewhere? Maybe I'll give her a call…"

Troy lunged off the weight bench in a flash, but fortunately, Mark's reflexes were equally quick. He placed himself between Carl and Troy, holding his friend back.

"Dude, you must have a death wish," Mark growled at Carl. "I strongly suggest that you get the hell out of here before Troy rips your head off. And I'm not talking about the one that's on your shoulders."

Carl paled, glancing between Troy and Mark as if measuring the validity of the threat, and hastily retreated.

"And stay the hell away from my wife," Troy spat in his wake.

Mark pushed him back to the weight bench, and Troy sat down with a thud. "Wow, you _are_ a mess," he observed sympathetically.

Troy ran a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. "It's not just about sex, man. Call me whipped if you want, but I miss the closeness I usually have with her. Cuddling up to watch a movie or tickling her until she loses her breath. Playing footsie with her at the dinner table. Getting in bed and just holding and kissing her. I'm pulling back because I'm afraid I'll lose control. I don't want to hurt her, and it's not fair to her to start something that I can't finish. I feel like I'm going to explode."

"Have you talked to her about it?" Mark asked, and then flinched. "Damn, when did we start sounding like a couple of girls?"

Troy laughed softly. "When we fell in love with a couple of girls." He grew serious again. "How do you start a conversation like that? 'I want you, but I can't have you, and I'm so unbelievably horny for you that I'm afraid I'll snap if I touch you.' That's crazy, man. Besides, she's been consumed with getting things ready for the reunion. I may have a few choice words for Taylor McKessie-Danforth when I see her this weekend. Dumping all this work on Gabriella... as if she doesn't have enough on her mind already."

"Maybe it's a good thing," Mark pointed out. "Kelly said Gabi's been really worried about not being able to get pregnant. Maybe all this reunion stuff is a good distraction for her."

Troy nodded grudgingly. "I suppose so. Taylor doesn't know that, though. She's just wrapped up in her own job and family."

"Well, look on the bright side," Mark said. "After this weekend, it'll all be over."

Troy finally grinned. "And she'll be all mine."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella stood up from the dining room table and stretched out her achy muscles. She'd been hunched over her laptop for hours, putting together a slide show for Ms. Darbus's retirement party. Ryan had planned to do it, but he'd gotten an emergency call to choreograph a show after the original choreographer had pulled out. He'd called her in a panic, and Gabriella had assured him that she'd get it done. She could see Troy's point about their friends taking advantage of her, but that was the role she had perfected over the years—good old reliable Gabriella. Maybe she was turning out to be a workaholic, just like her mom.

"Gosh, I hope not," she said to the empty room.

Besides, the extra work was a good distraction for Gabriella. It got her mind off the lingering achiness from her surgery, as well as Troy's recent change in behavior. It'd been awhile since they'd made love thanks to her back-to-back surgeries, not that she would've felt up to it even if Dr. Grant had given them the go-ahead. What she missed most was the intimacy that she and Troy usually had. He didn't seem to be touching her as much, and when he did it was almost clinical rather than romantic. That, in addition to the still-healing red incisions that dotted her stomach and abdomen, fueled her insecurities. She had no doubt that Troy loved her, but what if he had grown tired of waiting to start a family? It wasn't his fault they hadn't conceived, it was hers. No matter how many times he told her it didn't matter, she couldn't help but feel like she was letting him down.

Sighing with frustration, she flopped back down in her seat. _I have to get this done_, she reminded herself. It was Wednesday, and she was flying to Albuquerque the next day, right after her follow-up appointment with Dr. Grant. Troy had to work a long shift on Friday, so he wouldn't get to Albuquerque until Saturday morning, but Gabriella was making the trip early so she and Taylor could coordinate their work and wrap up the final details for the reunion. After the reunion on Saturday and show on Sunday, Troy and Gabriella planned to spend the rest of the day with Lucille and Grandma Bolton to celebrate Mothers Day, and then fly back to San Francisco together early Monday morning. It would be a busy weekend, but Gabriella was excited for the visit. Then, she hoped, things could finally get back to normal.

...~«ώ»~...

Late Thursday evening, Troy sat anxiously on the sofa, waiting for Gabriella to call. Her flight was supposed to have landed more than an hour ago, and he was beginning to get worried. She'd called him after her appointment with Dr. Grant to let him know that everything was fine, but he'd been on his way to the operating room with a patient and hadn't really had time to talk. He'd cut her off with a hasty, "Love you, gotta go," before switching off his phone. By the time surgery was over, she was already in the air, and he regretted that he hadn't gotten to see her before she left.

Troy picked up the remote control and switched on the television. He flipped through the channels, but nothing caught his attention. He looked at his watch for what seemed like the millionth time, and then grabbed his phone, his thumb hovering indecisively over the Call button. It suddenly sprang to life in his palm, and he answered the call without checking the Caller ID.

"Hello?" he answered anxiously, but the female voice on the other end was not the one he was expecting to hear.

"Troy, it's Mom," she said. "What time did you say Gabriella's flight was supposed to arrive? We've been at the airport for almost an hour, and she hasn't come out yet."

Troy frowned as he ran a hand through his hair. "She was supposed to touch down at 9:15 Mountain Time. Have you tried calling her?"

"Her phone's not on," Lucille reported. "It goes straight to voicemail. And I called Taylor—she hasn't heard from her either."

"Has the flight landed?" Troy pressed anxiously.

"I don't know," Lucille told him. "We were supposed to meet her at the rental car pick-up. We haven't been inside the terminal."

"Okay, I'll get online and check the flight status," he told her as he went to retrieve his laptop from the desk. It seemed to take forever for the computer to boot up, but when Troy clicked to sign on to the Internet, his heart stopped. "Dear God," he breathed as he stared at the news photo on the home page. It was a plane on a runway, surrounded by emergency vehicles.

"Troy? Troy! What is it?" Lucille nearly shouted into the phone.

"I'll call you right back," he told her and slammed the phone shut before he heard her protest.

His heart was in his throat as he skimmed the news article, piecing the story together with a few keywords: _Bound for Albuquerque. Diverted to Phoenix. Cockpit fire. Emergency landing. Serious injuries. Possible fatality. _He didn't need to see the airline or flight number to know that his wife had been on that flight. His phone rang again, and he answered with a frantic 'hello.'

"Troy, don't you dare hang up on me again," his mother scolded. "What's going on? We're on our way to the terminal, and there are news trucks here. Did something happen at the airport?"

"Gabriella's flight had to make an emergency landing," he forced out through the knot in his throat. "They diverted to Phoenix… and there are injuries… Mom, what if she's…" Troy choked up, unable to continue. The scenario taking shape in his mind was inconceivable.

"I'm sure she's okay, Troy," Lucille soothed.

"Then why hasn't she called?" he challenged.

"I don't know," she answered, slightly out of breath. "Okay, Troy, we're in the terminal now, and it looks like there are some reps from the airline here. We'll see what we can find out, and I'll call you right back." She hung up as swiftly as Troy had minutes earlier.

Troy's fingers flew over the keys of his laptop as he searched for more information about what had happened. He tried to tamp down the panic that threatened to swallow him whole. Gabriella didn't really like flying that much, mainly because of her chronic airsickness. He couldn't even fathom how terrified she must be, and he cursed himself for not being there with her. He was ready to hop in the car and drive to Phoenix to get her, but he wasn't even sure she was there anymore. There seemed to be conflicting reports about where the passengers had been taken after they had been evacuated from the plane.

The phone rang again, and Troy heard his mother's voice before he even got the phone up to his ear.

"Troy, are you there? Hold on, your dad's checking the flight manifest. They told us that there were a number of injuries, but they're not releasing any names right now. They put the uninjured passengers on another flight. They're due to arrive here in about 45 minutes."

Troy shook his head. "I can't imagine that Gabriella would get on another flight after making an emergency landing. She'd be terrified. She must still be in Phoenix. I'm going to try to call her."

"I just tried," Lucille told him. "Still nothing. All we can do is wait." She hesitated. "Do you think we should call Maria?"

A bitter laugh rumbled from Troy's chest. "Don't bother."

"Son, she deserves to know," Lucille chided. "Gabriella is her only child."

"Whatever, Mom," he said angrily. "Do what you want. I'm going to go to the airport and see if I can still catch a flight there tonight."

"Wait, Troy," she said sharply. "It's stupid to fly here when you don't even know where she is. She could be in Phoenix, or on her way back to San Francisco. You need to stay put until we hear from her."

"But I can't sit around and do nothing," he argued.

"Call your friends and see if they can come over and wait with you," she suggested.

He opened his mouth to argue before realizing that she was right. "Okay, I'll do that. Call me as soon as you hear anything, okay?"

"I will," Lucille assured him. "And try to stay calm. We'll find her."

...~«ώ»~...

Forty minutes later, Kelly sat in the Boltons' living room. Mark was still at the hospital, but Kelly had rushed over as soon as she'd gotten Troy's call. Troy paced the length of the living room while Kelly sat on the couch, wringing her hands anxiously. They both jumped when a phone rang, but Troy deflated when he realized that it was Kelly's, not his. He continued to pace as he listened to her side of the conversation.

"Hi," she answered curtly. "No, we haven't heard anything. I don't know, Mark. What? Okay, I'll tell him. I know, me too. Okay, love you, bye."

She pushed the End button and looked up to see Troy staring at her. "What?" she asked.

"That was like my last conversation with Gabriella," he told her miserably. "I was on my way to surgery when she called, and I couldn't talk. I cut her off." He circled the couch and flopped down beside Kelly, dropping his head into his hands. "What if that was the last time… I don't even remember if I told her I loved her."

"She knows you love her, Troy," Kelly soothed. "Geez, everyone in San Francisco knows you love her."

That forced a choked laugh out of him. Troy's phone rang then, and he dove for it, reading "Mom—Cell" on the screen. When he put the phone to his ear, he heard someone crying, and dread coursed through his body.

"Mom? What's going on? Mom!" he yelled into the phone, pushing up off the sofa.

"Troy?" a tiny voice replied, and he sunk to his knees on the floor, weak with relief.

"Gabriella? Thank God! Baby, are you okay? We were so worried. Are you hurt? What happened?" He paused, trying to slow his racing heart, and heard a faint sob on the other end.

There was some shuffling, and then his dad's voice boomed down the line. "Troy, Gabriella is here in Albuquerque. She's safe. She's not hurt, but she's pretty upset. Your mom's trying to calm her down. We're going to get her in the car and away from the crowd. We'll call you back in a few minutes."

"No, Dad, don't hang up," Troy pleaded. "I want to hear what's going on there. You don't have to talk, just keep me on the line."

"Okay, fine," Jack agreed tightly.

There was a lot of commotion at the other end of the line, and Troy strained to hear Gabriella's voice in the background. Kelly watched him, wide-eyed, trying to interpret his conflicting facial expressions. His parents must have been approaching the terminal's exit—Troy heard reporters shouting questions at them while his dad gruffly ordered them out of the way. He could swear he heard Gabriella whimper amidst the chaos.

"Troy?" Kelly whispered fearfully.

"She's okay," he told her softly.

"Thank God," she breathed, scooping her phone off the coffee table to call Mark.

She was talking to her fiancé when Troy heard a soft gasp in his ear.

"Gabriella? Sweetie, is that you? Talk to me," he said loudly, motioning for Kelly to lower her voice.

"I'm here," she answered, her voice shaky.

Troy let out the breath he hadn't even known he was holding. "Are you okay? Baby, I was so worried about you. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I'm okay," she told him dully.

"I'm going to see if I can get my flight changed," he rambled on. "I'll be there either tonight or first thing in the morning. I'll let you know when I have flight details."

"No, Troy, don't fly tonight," she begged. He could feel her fear crackling across the phone line. "Please!"

"But I want to be there, with you," he argued. "I'll be fine…"

"No!" she shrieked. She drew a deep breath, as if to calm herself. "Troy, you need to work tomorrow," she told him. "You have the next three days off. Please, don't change your flight. I'm okay. I'll see you when you get here."

Troy hesitated, torn. Finally, he relented. "All right, if you're sure. But I want you to call me whenever you need to talk, anytime, day or night. Agreed?" He waited for her agreement before he continued. "I love you, Gabriella."

"I love you too," she murmured just before slapped the phone shut.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella sat in the back seat of the Boltons' car, stunned. Her overtaxed mind struggled to sort out the crazy sequence of events from the past few hours. There had been a fire in the cockpit. In the mayhem, one of the pilots had suffered a heart attack. Gabriella couldn't see the crew's resuscitation efforts from her seat, but word eventually spread among the passengers that the older man had died. Their landing in Phoenix had been rough, considering that some of the controls and instruments had been damaged in the fire. The passengers had been instructed to brace for impact, but the co-pilot had somehow managed to get them on the ground in one piece. Several passengers in First Class had suffered smoke inhalation, and a few had been hit with luggage that fell from the overhead storage bins, but all in all, the situation had turned out better than expected. Other than the usual bout of airsickness, Gabriella was shaken but unscathed, though boarding the new flight from Phoenix to Albuquerque definitely ranked among the top ten scariest moments of her life.

She'd had time to come to terms with all that had happened, except for the woman's voice she'd heard in the background on Troy's phone. What on earth was going on? She had managed to calm her ire after his brush-off earlier in the afternoon—he'd been on the way to surgery—but she couldn't fathom why Troy would have a woman at their house while she was gone. Lucille had said that Troy was at home, so it clearly wasn't a random stranger in a public place. She didn't know what to think. She trusted Troy, but he _had _been acting different lately… Gabriella resolutely squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the questions, the uncertainty. All she needed was a good night's sleep. Things would surely look better in the morning.

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy arrived in Albuquerque on Saturday morning, he drove straight out to Lava Springs, where Gabriella and Taylor were busy setting up for the reunion. He strode through the country club to the large banquet room and found Gabriella standing on a chair, hanging decorations. Smiling broadly, he crept up behind her and grabbed her waist, pulling her down into his arms. She shouted in surprise, flailing her arms to try to catch herself as she fell. When she realized that it was Troy behind her, she forced a smile. Troy dipped her for a lingering kiss while she mumbled a protest. When he returned her to her feet and took a step back to look at her, he gasped at her haggard appearance. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her skin looked unusually pale. It looked like she hadn't slept in days. He grasped her shoulders with concern.

"Sweetheart, are you okay? You don't look so good."

"I'm fine, Troy," she told him dismissively, trying to push out of his arms. "We have a lot of work to do."

"Hey, what's going on here?" he insisted, refusing to release her. "You didn't answer your phone all day yesterday. I've been worried about you."

"Taylor and I were out all day yesterday getting things together for tonight," she explained. "I told you I'd be busy."

"Gabriella, come on, talk to me," he pleaded. "Something's wrong. Did I do something to upset you?"

She glanced across the room at Chad and Taylor. "Troy, now is not a good time. Please, can we talk about this later? We have so much work to do."

Reluctantly he released her. "Okay, but I'm going to hold you to that. Now what do you need me to do?"

...~«ώ»~...

A couple hours later, Gabriella sank into a chair, exhausted. She'd just hung her last decoration, and she looked around at the large room, checking the work that they had finished. Taylor was on the other side of the room setting up displays. Troy and Chad were in the hallway hanging East High banners. Gabriella had looked forward to this reunion for months, but suddenly, she couldn't wait for it to be over. She let her eyelids droop for a moment of rest before a rustle next to her caused her to look up.

Standing over her, dressed in a pink dressing gown trimmed with feathers, was Sharpay Evans. She looked like she'd stepped out of their high school yearbook, virtually untouched by age. Her hair hung in rich blonde waves, her teeth sparkled, her make-up was perfect… Gabriella looked down at the dingy clothes she'd worn to work in, and ran a hand through her tangled hair.

"Hi, Gabriella," Sharpay chirped. Her voice was high and suspiciously sweet, just like in high school.

"Hi, Sharpay," Gabriella replied, brushing her hand on her jeans before offering it for a handshake. Instead, Sharpay pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Handshakes are for strangers," she explained when she finally released Gabriella. "Hugs are for old friends. Besides, I've learned that nothing makes a fan's day like a hug from their favorite celebrity."

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Gabriella looked around. "What are you doing here so early? The reunion doesn't start for hours."

"I'm getting dressed here so I don't have to worry about ugly wrinkles," Sharpay sniffed. "You may recall that I'm part-owner of this country club."

"Oh, I thought your _parents _owned it," Gabriella returned, unable to resist the jab.

Sharpay's eyes narrowed. "When my parents retire, _I _will be taking over the operation. In the meantime, I came in to make sure you guys aren't taping decorations to the wallpaper." She flicked a manicured fingernail across one of the streamers that Gabriella had just hung. "How quaint. The wallpaper is imported from France, you know."

Gabriella bit her tongue against the snippy retort that formed in her mind. "Yes, I know. It's lovely. And no, we haven't taped anything to it. Taylor and I both received copies of the club's rental policy. It's very thorough."

"For good reason," Sharpay sniped. "This club is exclusive. We host classy events, like cotillions, showers, and weddings. The Albuquerque Community Center is more than adequate for the hoedowns and football parties that the average citizens around here are so fond of having."

"The Albuquerque Community Center?" Gabriella pretended to consider that. "I'll tell Taylor to keep that in mind for our next reunion." She turned to walk away from Sharpay, smiling at the scandalized gasp behind her.

"I saw Troy out in the hall," Sharpay said, her voice resuming its annoying sweet tone. "He looks fabulous. Time has been very kind to _that _man."

Gabriella turned back in time to see another disapproving head-to-toe appraisal from the other woman. "He does look good, and he works hard to maintain his health and fitness." She held up her left hand. "We've been married for almost four years now."

"So I heard," Sharpay replied icily. Gabriella started to walk away again, but Sharpay's next words stopped her cold. "I also heard about your struggles with infertility. It's such a shame—Troy would make a great father."

Gabriella turned slowly, unable to stop the shakiness in her voice. "Who told you that?"

"Troy did, of course," Sharpay answered merrily.

"Troy would _never _tell you that," Gabriella growled.

Sharpay rolled her eyes dramatically. "Okay, fine, I _might_ have overheard him talking to Chad about it out in the hall. He seemed pretty bummed about it, which I can understand. If there's one person who deserves to have a family, it's Troy Bolton. Don't worry, though, Troy is far too noble to leave you because of that."

Gabriella swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump that was forming in her throat.

Sharpay's eyes suddenly widened, and an evil smile spread across her face. "Ooh, I just had the _best _idea! I could donate my eggs so that Troy can have the kids he's always wanted." She paused, tapping her finger against her lips thoughtfully. "Of course, we'd have to use a surrogate—I wouldn't want to ruin my figure, after all—but then you could raise the little creatures as your own offspring. Just imagine how beautiful they'd be, with Troy's blue eyes and my naturally blonde hair…"

Sharpay rambled on and on as Gabriella stood in shock. The words began to blur and distort in her ears, and Gabriella shook her head to clear the fog that was engulfing her. She opened her mouth to say something, _anything, _but the walls seemed to be caving in around her. Everything was happening in slow motion. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. The blood pounding in her ears drowned out Sharpay's voice. And then, everything went black as Gabriella slipped into blissful oblivion.


	15. Reunion

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 15—Reunion**

Taylor watched from across the banquet room, wide-eyed, as Gabriella slumped to the floor at Sharpay's feet.

"Troy! Get in here!" she shouted as she dashed across the vast room.

Troy and Chad barreled through the wide doors, and Troy dropped to his knees beside his wife.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Sharpay, what did you say to her?" Taylor demanded.

Sharpay stood nearby, fanning herself dramatically. "We were just reminiscing, and all of a sudden she just keeled over." She glanced toward the hallway. "Should we find a doctor?"

"_Troy's _a doctor, blondie," Chad snapped.

"Oh," she replied. Her eyebrow rose maniacally, and she watched with interest as Troy tended to his wife. His attention was fully focused on Gabriella as he checked her pulse and her breathing before carefully straightening her twisted body.

"Sharpay," he barked. "Do you have smelling salts in your dressing room?"

She scoffed. "Any _good_ actress is prepared for such unfortunate…" Troy cut her off sharply.

"Go get them," he ordered, and she scuttled out into the hall.

Gabriella was starting to stir, and Troy stroked her cheek to rouse her.

"Gabriella? Open your eyes for me, baby," he coaxed.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked around blankly. "What happened?"

"You fainted, sweetheart," Troy told her with a relieved smile.

Her eyes widened as she remembered the events leading up to her collapse, and she struggled to sit up, unwilling to show any further weakness to Sharpay Evans. Troy moved behind her, flanking her with his legs and pulling her back to rest on his chest.

"Hey, hey, take it easy," he told her gently. "Give yourself a few minutes to recover."

"Sh-Sharpay?" Gabriella asked, scanning the room.

"I sent her for smelling salts," Troy told her.

"Should we go tell her we don't need them after all?" Taylor asked.

"Absolutely not," Troy smiled, brushing a curl away from his wife's face.

"Gabi, what were you two talking about?" Taylor wondered. "Did she say something to upset you?"

"She was just being… Sharpay," Gabriella answered softly. "I wasn't feeling well, and this room's kind of stuffy…"

"And you're recovering from surgery, and haven't been sleeping…" Troy added. She shifted, and sensing her discomfort, Troy pushed to his feet and helped her up, guiding her to the closest chair. He pulled a second chair next to hers and sat, sliding his arm around her shoulders.

There was a commotion in the hall, and a moment later, Sharpay bustled back in the room, followed by longtime manager Thomas Fulton. The older man looked down at the pair.

"Mr. Bolton? Ms. Montez? How nice to see you again," he greeted primly.

"_Doctor _Bolton and _Mrs. _Bolton," Troy corrected, tightening his arm protectively around his wife. His mother would've fainted if she'd heard his rude correction, but Troy could only think of how badly Mr. Fulton had treated Gabriella the summer they'd worked at Lava Springs.

"Congratulations," Fulton muttered. "Is everything all right here?"

"Gabriella fainted," Sharpay reported. "I guess you don't need these after all." She tossed the smelling salts onto the table.

"The catering staff is here to start setting up," Fulton informed them, gesturing toward the uniformed workers entering the room. "I trust you're almost finished here."

"Is there somewhere quiet we could go?" Troy asked. "I'd like her to rest a little while before we do anything else."

"I can open one of the private lounges for you," Fulton answered.

"Those are for _members,_" Sharpay protested.

"Would you rather have her passing out in your lobby?" Taylor asked pointedly.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Fine. Do it, Fulton." She turned on her heel and flounced out of the room.

"Follow me," Fulton told them. Troy stood and scooped his wife up in his arms, ignoring her protests.

After he settled her on the plush sofa in the lounge, Troy turned to Chad and Taylor. "Could you leave us alone for a few minutes? We need to talk."

Taylor started to say something, but Chad nodded, pulling her backwards and out of the small room, closing the door behind them.

Finally alone, Troy sat next to Gabriella and took her hands in his. "Sweetheart, I need to know what's going on. Something's wrong. _Please _talk to me."

He wasn't sure what response he was expecting, but he was shocked when she looked up at him and burst into tears. She crumpled into his arms as deep sobs shook her body, and Troy pulled her into his lap, holding her tightly as she cried into his chest. He didn't understand why she was so upset, but she needed him, and he was there for her.

"Shh," he whispered into her hair. She clung to him as if she feared he would vanish into thin air. "It's okay baby, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Long minutes passed as she cried out several weeks' worth of fear, pain, and frustration. Finally she began to calm, and Troy pulled away just long enough to grab a box of tissues from the end table next to the couch. She dried her eyes and cheeks and blew her nose before steeling herself and meeting his eyes. His thumb swept across her cheek, brushing away a lingering tear, and then he cupped the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss. He felt her tense for a second, and then she fully gave herself to him, submitting to the unexpected heat between them.

He pulled away reluctantly, shifting her on his lap. She smoothed the wrinkles her fists had created in his shirt and looked at him sadly.

"Gabriella," he murmured. "Talk to me, please."

She drew a shaky breath. "Did you tell Chad that I can't get pregnant?"

He frowned deeply. "What? No! Where did that come from?"

"What did you say? In the hall?" she pressed.

His brows furrowed as he mentally replayed the conversation he'd had with Chad as they'd worked. "We were talking about the last time we visited, in December, and he asked if you were feeling better. I mentioned your surgeries, which he didn't know about…" he paused to frown at her.

"I just told Taylor yesterday," she admitted sheepishly.

He shook his head before continuing. "I told him that as soon as Dr. Grant gives us the green light, we're going to start trying again." He looked at her inquisitively. "And then I realized that with all the craziness of the past few days, you never told me how your follow-up visit went."

"She said we can start trying to get pregnant as soon as I feel ready," Gabriella murmured.

Troy mentally jumped for joy even as he realized that there was still unfinished business between them. "Sweetheart, what made you think I would say that you couldn't get pregnant?"

"Sharpay told me…" she looked down, hesitant to repeat Sharpay's cruel words.

He raised her chin with a finger. "Tell me."

"She said she overheard you and Chad talking about my… infertility… and that it wasn't fair for you to not have children," she confessed.

His eyes narrowed. "Whether we have kids or not is none of Sharpay's business." She looked down again, and he sensed that there was more. "What else did she say?"

She shook her head, fighting fresh tears. "It's nothing."

He raised her chin again and stroked her cheek. "It's not nothing. Tell me."

"She said that you're too noble to leave me because I can't get pregnant, and that she'd be willing to donate her eggs to us so that we can have a baby via surrogate," Gabriella said softly. A tear escaped and tumbled down her cheek. "She was talking about how beautiful the children would be with your genes and hers."

Troy was stunned. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he could speak. "She _said _that? I can't believe anyone could be so cruel!"

"When it comes to Sharpay, anything is possible," Gabriella said bitterly.

The more he thought about it, and the more he realized how deeply affected Gabriella was, the angrier Troy got. His muscles tensed as a litany of angry words formed in his mind. Another tear slid down Gabriella's cheek, and that spurred him into action. He carefully moved her off his lap and stood.

"Where are you going?" she asked fearfully.

"I'm going to go have a chat with Sharpay," he bit out. "_Nobody _has the right to talk to you that way, _especially _not her."

"No, Troy, please," she argued. "Taylor and I have worked so hard to make this reunion perfect. If Sharpay gets upset, there's no telling what she might do to ruin the night. We're at her mercy, at least for tonight."

Troy hesitated. "There's no excuse for her behavior," he argued.

Gabriella tugged his hand, pulling him back down beside her on the couch. "She still sees you as the one that got away. In her eyes, I'm the reason that you and she didn't end up together."

He shook his head. "Sharpay and I went to school together for ten years before you came along. She was never interested in me until I was voted captain of the basketball team."

"Most likely, you're one of the few men in her life who's ever told her 'no,'" Gabriella observed. "She doesn't like hearing that word."

"Well, she heard it before I even met you. I always thought she was too malicious and self-involved. Obviously I'm not the only guy who's thought that if she's still single after ten years." He studied his wife's tear-streaked face. "I won't say anything to her until after the party tonight, but then I'm going to give her a piece of my mind. She needs to know, in no uncertain terms, that _you _are the woman I chose, and _you _are the woman I'm going to have a family with. Period."

She nodded her agreement, and he cupped her face again, sliding his thumb along the discoloration under her eyes.

"Now, can you tell me why you haven't been sleeping? Are you having nightmares because of your flight on Thursday?"

Gabriella nodded again. "I thought I was okay about it. Your mom and I talked, and I felt better, but then I went to sleep and started seeing fires and crashes and explosions." She pulled his hand into her lap and clasped it with both of hers. "It was so scary, Troy. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again." A fresh tear slid down her cheek. "That was the worst part."

Troy pulled her forward and kissed the tear away. "I know. I was going crazy not knowing where you were. Kelly came over to wait with me…"

"_Kelly _came over?" she asked, wide-eyed.

He frowned, not understanding her reaction. "Yeah. I called Mark, but he was working late, so Kelly said she would wait with me until we heard that you were safe."

"I'm glad you weren't alone," she replied sincerely, tightening her hold on his hand.

"I wish I'd been there with you, on that plane, holding your hand," he told her. "Or, better yet, I wish you hadn't been on that plane at all. Most of all I'm just glad that you're all right. I was really worried about you." He pulled her forward again and briefly connected their lips. "And maybe you'll sleep better with me beside you. I know I will. I don't like sleeping alone."

"Neither do I," she admitted.

"Speaking of sleep, I'm going to drive you back to my parents' house so you can rest up for the reunion tonight." She started to protest, but he covered her lips with his fingertip. "And I'm not taking no for an answer. You've been working too hard, and I should've stopped you long before now."

There was a soft knock on the door, and then Chad and Taylor stepped in, glancing between Gabriella's tear-streaked face and Troy's grim expression.

Troy looked up at Taylor. "I'm afraid you're going to have to finish setting up on your own. Gabriella _has _to slow down and get some rest. Doctor's orders."

"But Troy," Gabriella argued. "We still have a lot of stuff to do…"

"No, Troy's right," Taylor interrupted. "You've been pushing yourself too hard. _I've _been pushing you too hard. I'm sorry, honey." She reached out to pat Gabriella's hand. "It would just be awful if you missed the reunion after you did so much to put it together. Go home, rest, and come back tonight. Chad and I can finish up."

"Are you sure?" Gabriella asked uncertainly.

"Positive," Taylor told her.

Troy felt Gabriella's body relax against his as she released the burden of the reunion preparations. Finally they were making some progress.

...~«ώ»~...

Back at the Bolton home, Troy insisted that Gabriella lie down and rest for awhile, reminding her again of her surgery less than two weeks before. While she slept, Troy and Jack ran each other ragged on the basketball court outside. When they finally came in, Lucille shook her head good-naturedly as they dove into the plate of cookies she'd set out for them.

"My two little boys," she grinned.

"Yep, you love us," Troy teased.

"Well, _somebody_ has to," she returned as both men feigned hurt.

"Troy, I'm not sure the women in our lives truly appreciate our many fine attributes," Jack announced, slinging a sweaty arm around his son's neck.

"I hope you're not including your current smell as one of those better attributes," Lucille shot back. "Because I'll be far more likely to appreciate it _after _you've showered. I'm sure Gabriella would agree with me on that."

Troy glanced toward his bedroom. "Is she still asleep?"

"She's been awake for about half an hour," Lucille reported. "She's getting ready in the guest bedroom so you can use your room."

"I'm going to go check on her," Troy announced.

"Uh-uh," Lucille halted him sternly. "She said no peeking until she's ready."

He pouted. "I haven't spent any quality time with my wife for two days, and I can't even go say 'hi'?"

Lucille winked. "She showed me her dress, Troy. Trust me, it'll be worth the wait."

Troy swallowed hard. "I, uh, think I'm going to hit the showers."

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy emerged from his bedroom twenty minutes later, freshly showered, shaved, and dressed in a dark gray suit and black tie, Lucille and Gabriella were waiting in the living room. Troy's jaw dropped when his eyes landed on his wife. She gazed at him expectantly, silently seeking his approval. Lucille smiled at her son's glazed expression and discreetly excused herself. She patted Troy's shoulder as she passed him, breaking him out of his trance. He walked slowly toward Gabriella, his eyes feasting on everything she had to offer. Her dress was a pale blush color, with an overlay of blush fabric flowers covering it. The thin straps complimented the golden skin of her shoulders, and the hem brushed her thighs, showing off her slender legs. Her hair was pulled up in a twist, with tendrils sweeping both sides of her face. Long crystal earrings dangled from her ears, and blush peep-toe heels completed the look.

"Troy?" He dragged his eyes up her body to her face. "What do you think?"

His fingertips brushed her upper arm, and she shivered as they skimmed down her arm to take her hand. "Sweetheart…" He stopped to clear his throat of the thick huskiness that choked it. "I'm speechless. You look… just… _wow._ Incredible. So, so beautiful."

Gabriella visibly relaxed, as if she hadn't been sure how he would react. "Thank you," she replied shyly. "And you look very handsome."

Troy used their joined hands to pull her against his body, wrapping his arm around her waist to keep her close. She blushed as she felt the hard ridge of his erection through his dress pants. "I have a really good idea," he murmured.

"What's that?" she asked suspiciously.

"I think we should skip the reunion so that I can show you just how much I've missed you." The huskiness in his voice made her knees weak.

"We've only been apart for two days," she reminded him, her voice breathy.

"That's not what I mean and you know it." He bent to nip the shell of her ear, and she nearly melted into a puddle on the floor. "We've been apart a lot longer than two days, and I'm dying to be with you, Gabriella." His voice lowered to a hoarse whisper in her ear. "To be _inside _you, thrusting, making you come all over my cock."

She nearly came just hearing his sexy voice telling her the dirty things he wanted to do to her. "Troy…" she gasped, clinging to his shoulders. "We can't. Not here. Not now."

He squeezed his eyes shut, knowing she was right, but desperately wanting her to be wrong. Once, when he and Gabriella had only been married a few months, Troy's mom had walked in on the two of them, in Troy's childhood bed, about to… He shook his head to clear away that uncomfortable mental image, feeling his erection subside with that one mortifying memory. After that, he and Gabriella had agreed not to have sex when they were under the same roof as any of their parents. It was far too awkward—Gabriella hadn't been able to make eye contact with her mother-in-law the rest of that fateful weekend.

"Okay, okay, you're right," he finally answered, loosening his arm around her waist. "But I have to warn you, this is conjuring up memories of the sexy little dresses you wore in high school." He looked down at her mischievously. "And since we're married, I reserve the right to do what I couldn't do back then."

"What's that?" she asked, and then squealed as his hands dropped below her hem and slid up under her dress. He cupped her lace-covered backside with both hands, feeling himself harden again.

"Troy," she choked.

"Troy?" This time it was a male voice, and Troy broke free of his trance just in time to drop his hands and smooth down his wife's dress before his dad walked into the room. Gabriella cheeks burned bright red and she hid her face in his chest, no doubt remembering the very same incident Troy had just been thinking about.

"Your mom wants to take a few pictures of you two before you go, since we'll probably be asleep by the time you get home." Gabriella missed Jack's not-at-all-subtle wink at his son, but Troy saw it and inwardly winced.

"Okay, Dad, tell her we'll be right out." Troy waited until Jack left the room before he eased Gabriella away from his body, chuckling at her look of mortification. He lowered his head to kiss her, and when they separated, she giggled. "What?"

She brushed her fingertips across his lips, wiping away the glitter from her lip gloss that was shimmering there. "I don't think East High's golden boy should show up to the reunion wearing glittery lip gloss. People might talk."

He laughed. "What would they say? That my wife is so damn sexy that she'll be lucky to have _any _lip gloss left by the end of the night?"

They went outside and posed for Lucille. She took shot after shot, pausing occasionally to brush imaginary specks of dirt off of Gabriella's dress. Troy smiled warmly as he watched his mom fussing over Gabriella. She hadn't had a daughter to fuss over, and Gabriella's mom wasn't around enough to do much fussing. Finally, he checked his watch.

"Mom, come on, you're going to make us late," he told her.

"Okay, okay," she relented. "Have a good time."

Troy took his wife's hand to lead her to the car. "Come on, Mrs. Bolton, I believe we have a reunion to get to."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy kept his hold on Gabriella's hand throughout the drive to Lava Springs as they reminisced about their high school days. She noticed his affection, and secretly wondered why it was suddenly back after being largely absent for weeks. Maybe it was because this was the first time since her surgeries that she'd actually made an attempt to look nice for him. Or maybe the flight trauma on Thursday had scared him as much as it'd scared her. Regardless, she decided to enjoy his tender touch for the night and ask him about the change after the reunion.

When they arrived at Lava Springs, Troy handed his keys to the valet and circled the car to open Gabriella's door. He looped a possessive arm around her waist as they made their way toward the banquet room, and Gabriella smiled proudly at the handsome man by her side.

After they registered and received a copy of the booklet Gabriella had created and name badges to pin to their clothes, they stepped into the banquet room and looked around excitedly. Taylor spotted her friends first and rushed over to hug Gabriella.

"Hey, sweetie, you look great! How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better," Gabriella told her. "Troy made me take a nap, and it helped a lot."

"I have to take good care of my favorite patient," Troy grinned.

"Ooh, there's Kelsi!" Gabriella shrieked, dashing over to where her friend stood nearby.

Troy laughed and waved at Kelsi when she spotted him, but when he turned back, his expression grew serious again. "Taylor, I need you to do me a favor. Is Sharpay here yet?"

"No," Taylor answered with an eye roll. "I'm sure she'll wait until everyone's here so she can make her 'grand entrance.' Why? What do you need?"

"I need you to help keep her away from Gabriella," Troy told her.

Her eyes narrowed. "What happened this afternoon?"

"I can't tell you right now, and I promised Gabriella that I wouldn't say anything to Sharpay tonight, but if that woman so much as sneezes in Gabriella's direction, I want to know about it. You two have worked really hard to put this reunion together, and I want Gabriella to be able to enjoy it without having to deal with Sharpay's garbage."

Taylor nodded. "Okay, I'm on it."

He patted her arm. "Thanks."

"Hoops! I was wondering when you were going to show up." Chad slapped Troy on the back. "How's Gabi doing?"

"She's feeling better," Troy told him, glancing over and smiling at his wife, who was talking animatedly with Kelsi. "Hey, is the rest of the team here?"

"Right this way, captain." Chad guided him to the other side of the room, and the guys greeted him enthusiastically with handshakes, high fives, and back slaps. Several of the guys introduced their wives and girlfriends, and Troy glanced again to where he'd last seen Gabriella, frowning when he couldn't find her.

"Looking for someone, Wildcat?" a familiar soft voice asked behind him. She slipped her hand into his, lacing their fingers together.

"Wow, it's been awhile since I've heard that nickname," he observed softly.

"It's been awhile since you've _been_ a Wildcat," she explained. "But it feels appropriate for tonight." She smiled as the other guys noticed her and several approached to hug her.

"Wow, Gabi, you look fantastic," Jason Cross exclaimed. "No wonder Troy stayed in California, so he could have you all to himself."

She blushed as Troy beamed proudly. "Thanks, Jason. What's new with you?"

He looked down. "Um, this suit is new. And the shirt. I've had these shoes for awhile, though."

Gabriella bit her lip to keep from laughing. Apparently, some things _hadn't_ changed since high school. Troy turned her to the left with a hand on the small of her back.

"Sweetheart, this is Zeke's fiancée, Jasmine," Troy introduced. "Jasmine, this is my wife, Gabriella."

"Gabriella! Zeke's told me all about you and Troy," Jasmine exclaimed. "I'm so sorry I didn't get to meet you when you were in New York a couple months ago. The baby was sick, and Zeke thought she shouldn't be out in the cold air."

"That sounds like Zeke," Gabriella giggled. "How on earth do you maintain such a nice figure living with a chef?"

Jasmine touched Gabriella's arm conspiratorially. "Let me tell you, it is _not _easy! I gained weight when we started dating, but after we had our daughter, I realized that I needed to get busy and get in shape. I'm still not quite where I want to be, but I'm getting there."

"I can't wait to meet your little one at the show tomorrow," Gabriella enthused.

The two women chatted for several more minutes as Troy and Zeke caught up with Jason and Chad. Gabriella liked Jasmine a lot. She was very pretty, with black hair, brown eyes, shiny-smooth dark skin, and a nice figure. More importantly, she was genuinely sweet, easy to talk to, and clearly in love with her fiancé. After putting up with Sharpay's shenanigans in high school, Zeke deserved to find someone who loved him for who he was, not what he could do for her.

Finally, Gabriella gestured toward the men. "These guys could be here all night, talking about basketball. Let's go find Kelsi and the other basketball wives."

They made their way across the room to where Kelsi sat with Taylor, Martha, and a few other women. Gabriella hugged Martha enthusiastically, marveling at her blossoming belly. They found spots at the table, and Martha pointed to a man standing several feet away, talking to Ryan Evans.

"That's my husband, Jim," Martha told her. "I'll introduce you if I can ever get him away from Ryan. Once I mentioned that Ryan's a choreographer and Jim and I own a dance studio, it was love at first sight."

Gabriella laughed. "Is Jim a dancer too?"

"No, he's a businessman. We met in a marketing class in college," Martha explained. "We worked together on a class project, creating a plan for a prospective new business. We decided to do a dance studio for our project, since I'd always dreamed of having one. By the end of the project, we were dating, and after we graduated and got married, we used that business plan to get investors and open our studio for real." She gestured at her belly. "I've been teaching there for several years, but I had to give my classes to another instructor since I can't even bend over to tie my shoes, let alone dance."

"Stop it, you look great," Gabriella chided. "When are you due?"

"The middle of August," Martha said. "I'm glad I could make it to the reunion. One more month, and I wouldn't have been able to fly here."

"Oh, flying when you're pregnant is the _worst,_" Taylor interjected from across the table.

"Driving isn't much better," Jasmine added. "My parents live in Upstate New York, and I was eight months along when we went to visit them last Thanksgiving. It was, hands down, the most miserable car trip of my _life_."

Soon all the women at the table were chiming in with pregnancy and childbirth stories, and Gabriella realized with a pang of resentment that she was the only one there who _hadn't _experienced a pregnancy. The air in the room suddenly seemed stifling, and Gabriella wrung her hands in her lap self-consciously. A small hand settled over hers, and she looked up into Kelsi's sympathetic eyes.

"Are you okay?" Kelsi asked quietly. Gabriella nodded, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "It'll happen when the time is right. You know that."

"That doesn't make the waiting any easier," Gabriella replied.

"I know, but…" Kelsi trailed off, her eyes suddenly wide as she looked at the doorway behind Gabriella. "Brace yourself. Hurricane Sharpay just rolled in."

Steeling herself, Gabriella turned to see the spectacle of Sharpay's entrance. She was decked out in a form-fitting sequined pink gown that would've been more appropriate for a red carpet than a reunion. Two men in dark suits and mirrored sunglasses flanked her, and Gabriella wondered why on earth she would need security amongst her classmates. There were several other people around her—Kelsi recognized and pointed out her publicist, manager, and personal assistant. Sharpay waved as if she was the star of the show, and seemed pleased that all eyes were focused on her. Gabriella felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Troy standing protectively behind her. A number of their classmates approached Sharpay, but most simply returned to their conversations.

"That was a pretty low-key entrance for Sharpay," Kelsi observed. "I'm surprised she didn't have confetti or a trumpet fanfare to announce her arrival." Then, muttering something about "safety in numbers," Kelsi pasted on a smile and went over to stand next to Ryan, since his sister would inevitably seek them out when she was finished with her "fans."

"Come on, let's dance," Troy invited as Sharpay moved in their direction. Not waiting for her answer, he pulled out Gabriella's chair and hustled her to the dance floor across the room. Once there, he pulled her against his body and began to sway in time to the music. "It's good to see everyone again, isn't it?" Gabriella nodded against his chest, enjoying being in her husband's arms. She loved dancing with him. He was strong, yet tender, he smelled wonderful, and even though his handsome features attracted the attention of others around them, he only had eyes for her. "What were you ladies talking about before Sharpay came in?"

He felt her stiffen. "Just catching up," she mumbled.

He pulled back to look in her eyes. "Gabriella, when I put my hand on your shoulder over there, you were trembling."

She sighed sadly. "Please, Troy, can't we just forget it and enjoy the night?"

"I'll enjoy the night a lot more if I know what's bothering you," he answered.

"They were all talking about pregnancy and babies," Gabriella finally admitted. "I just felt… a little left out, that's all. It's not a big deal, Troy." She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "Please, can we just forget it for now?"

He regarded her thoughtfully for a few moments. "Okay." He dropped a sweet kiss on her forehead and pulled her tight against him. She snuggled into his chest, and he felt her relax. "Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?"

She smiled. "You did in your parents' living room, right before you grabbed my…" She squealed as his hands slid down toward her backside. "Don't you dare!" she hissed. "Not here!"

He laughed at her reaction, and she laughed with him when she realized he was teasing her. It felt good. "I'll get you for that, Troy Bolton," she warned.

"And how exactly are you going to do that?"

She thought for a minute, and then smiled mischievously at him. "Withholding sexual favors," she leaned up to whisper.

He gasped as if scandalized. "You wouldn't!"

"Don't push me, buddy." She laughed at his melodramatic expression.

His face straightened, but a smile still tugged the corners of his mouth. "I'm way too tightly wound for you to joke about that, baby. Besides, I know you would never do that."

"Oh?" she challenged. "How do you know that?"

His charming smile grew. "Because I'm irresistible!"

"More like incorrigible," she shot back with a grin.

"Maybe, but you're stuck with me for life," he told her.

"Lucky me," she murmured, suddenly serious again. She looked up at him, her eyes revealing the sincerity of her words, and he lowered his mouth onto hers. He kissed her sweetly for a few moments before pulling back to look at her. He spotted Sharpay Evans at the edge of the dance floor and hesitated, knowing that Gabriella was usually uncomfortable with excessive PDA in front of others. But his desire to send a message to Sharpay won over, and he again claimed his wife's mouth. This kiss was deep and powerful. He was staking his claim, branding her as his. His tongue dipped between her lips, and he was surprised when, instead of breaking the kiss, she sunk into it, melting against his body. When he finally pulled back, she was breathless, her cheeks rosy with arousal, and as he'd hoped, Sharpay was gone.

"You're wearing my lip gloss," she finally said softly.

"I'm not worried about that," he said huskily. "What I'm worried about is that _you _still have some on your lips."

"The night is still young," she smiled.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?" Ryan Evans was standing next to the DJ, and he waited patiently until the room grew quiet. "On behalf of the Evans family, I'd like to welcome you to Lava Springs for our ten-year reunion. Let's have a big round of applause for the ladies who put this reunion together, Taylor McKessie Danforth and Gabriella Montez Bolton." He paused until the applause died down, winking at Gabriella as she stood blushing on the dance floor. "As I'm sure you've heard, East High's drama director, Ms. Darbus, is retiring at the end of this school year. Our class is presenting a special retirement show for her tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 in the high school auditorium. For those of you participating, rehearsal will begin at 8:00 sharp. We'd like to invite everyone to come see the show. It's a family event, so you can bring your kids and show them off, and since it's Mothers Day, bring your moms as well!" He paused again, glancing at the catering staff. "Dinner service will begin in five minutes, so we ask that you please find your seats. Thanks, and enjoy your evening."

The remainder of the party went by quickly as everyone ate, danced, talked, laughed, and shared stories. After dinner, Gabriella sat down with Ryan and Kelsi to go over details for the show, and Ryan outlined his plan for their rehearsal in the morning. Troy and Gabriella managed to avoid Sharpay the rest of the evening, knowing it wouldn't be quite so easy to stay away from her when they shared the stage for the show. As the evening drew to a close, their friends trickled out until only Troy and Gabriella and Chad and Taylor remained.

"Do we need to take down all the decorations?" Gabriella asked, trying to stifle a yawn.

"No, Ryan spoke to the staff and told me they would take care of everything," Taylor said. "Thanks for all your hard work, Gabi. It was a great success."

"Thank you too," Gabriella answered. "We'll see you at rehearsal in the morning, right?"

"We'll be there," Chad interjected.

Troy took his wife's hand. "Mrs. Bolton, shall we head for home?"

She smiled up at him. "We shall."

...~«ώ»~...

Speeding down the highway back to Albuquerque, Troy's frisky behavior resumed, and his hand wandered off the steering wheel, first resting on Gabriella's thigh, and then creeping under her dress to touch bare skin. She retaliated by dropping her hand high on his thigh, nearly causing him to swerved off the road.

"Baby, I think we're going to have to reevaluate this whole 'no sex in our parents' house' agreement," he said hoarsely. "Otherwise, I'm going to pull off on a deserted stretch of highway and drag you into the bushes. Or put you up against a tree and…"

"Troy!" she gasped. He slowed down as if to prove he was serious. "Okay, okay," she relented. "We can reevaluate, but only if we're absolutely sure they're asleep when we get back."

Troy hit the gas, and soon they were pulling into the Boltons' driveway. As soon as the car stopped, both of them jumped out, and Troy fumbled with the key as Gabriella plastered herself against him. Finally he got the door open and followed her in, settling his hands firmly on her backside. When she got to the kitchen doorway, though, she froze. Troy sidestepped to avoid running into her, and gasped when he saw what she'd seen. He placed a steadying hand on her arm, fearing that she'd faint again.

"Surprise," said the visitor.

Gabriella pulled in a long, shaky breath. "Mom."


	16. Out in the Open

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 16—Out in the Open**

_A/N: The song lyrics used in this chapter are the property of Disney. No copyright infringement is intended.  
_**This chapter is rated M.**

* * *

"Mom!" Gabriella surged forward enthusiastically to hug her mom, while Troy remained in the doorway, still trying to process the latest turn of events. Finally, he tentatively stepped forward to offer his mother-in-law a less-than-enthusiastic hug.

"What are you doing here?" Gabriella asked.

"Does a mother need an excuse to visit her only daughter and son-in-law?" Maria asked. "Besides, tomorrow is Mother's Day, and Lucille invited me to come and see the show you're in." She paused to look over the young couple. "You two look nice. How was the reunion?"

"It was so much fun!" Gabriella gushed.

"Yeah, it was great to see everybody. Gabriella and Taylor put in a lot of hours to make sure everything went smoothly," Troy added proudly.

"You _have_ to meet Zeke's fiancée, Jasmine," Gabriella continued enthusiastically. "She's a wonderful girl, just perfect for Zeke. They're getting married in October."

"Oh, I've already met Jasmine and the baby," Maria replied nonchalantly. "Ryan and Kelsi's girls, too. They're such sweethearts. I babysat for them a few weeks ago so Ryan and Kelsi could have a date night."

Gabriella's eyes widened. "You see our friends in New York? You take care of their kids?"

"Well, yes," Maria answered. "Why does that surprise you? You brought us together when you came to visit a couple months ago, remember? It's nice to see your school friends once in awhile—they help me feel closer to you."

"And ease your conscience about not visiting your daughter," Troy muttered.

"Troy." Gabriella's tone warned him to stay out of it, and it was accompanied by a restraining hand on his stomach.

"I visit when I have time," Maria defended. "You live all the way across the country. It only takes a few hours to go to Greenwich Village and eat at Zeke's restaurant or see Ryan and Kelsi's show. Besides, I enjoy spoiling the little ones. It's fun to play grandma once in awhile. It may be the only chance I get."

Gabriella stepped back as if she'd been slapped. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth, and Troy's thread of control snapped. "'_Play grandma'?_ Maybe you should try playing _mom_ for a change! Your daughter has a right to have you in her life whether she gives you grandchildren or not."

"Troy, this is between me and my daughter," Maria fired back.

"The hell it is!" Troy's voice rose as he grew angrier. "Your daughter is my wife, and I'm not going to stand back and let you hurt her like this. Do you think Gabriella and I are _happy _that we haven't conceived? It's been hard on both of us, but particularly on her. You have _no _idea what she's been through in the past few months. She _needs _her mother to offer some love, understanding and support, not to make her feel like she's failed you somehow. She deserves better from you, Maria, and you know it."

"Don't tell me what my daughter deserves," Maria seethed. "I raised her on my own for ten years after her father died. I worked hard and provided a good life for her. Now that's _your _job. And if she's unhappy, maybe you should take a closer look at yourself and your marriage before you try to judge me!"

Gabriella stepped between them, glancing at Troy before turning to her mother. "Mom, I'm not unhappy with my marriage, and I didn't marry Troy for financial support. It's not his _job _to provide for me. He takes care of me because he loves and supports me."

"Are you saying I don't?" Maria demanded.

"No, I'm not saying that at all," Gabriella replied. "What's happened to you, Mom? Ever since you moved to New York, I feel like…" Her voice cracked and she paused, struggling to control her emotions. Troy stepped forward, reaching for her, but she halted him. "I feel like I'm losing you, just like Daddy."

"Gabriella Rosalyn, don't you dare try to make me feel guilty by bringing your father into this," Maria shouted.

"What on earth is all the yelling down here?" Jack and Lucille had appeared in the doorway. "What's going on?"

"It's fine, Dad," Troy spoke up. "We all need to turn in for the night. We can talk tomorrow." He glanced at Maria, who was glaring at him, and then at Gabriella, who was fighting back tears. He touched her arm. "Gabriella?"

"Jack, Lucille, we're okay," Gabriella agreed softly. "Go on back to bed." They nodded and retreated, and Gabriella turned to look up at her husband. "Troy, I need to talk to my mom. Alone." He started to protest, but she cut him off. "Please. Go on to bed. I'll be there in a few minutes."

His fingertips stroked her cheek. "Call me if you need me, okay? I love you."

"I love you too," she answered softly. She waited until Troy reluctantly went to his room and shut the door before turning back to her mother. "Okay, Mom, we need to talk."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy intended to wait up for Gabriella, but as the minutes stretched past an hour, the long, stressful day took over, and he changed into pajama bottoms and laid down. Within minutes, he was asleep. He awoke hours later, alarmed when he realized that Gabriella wasn't beside him. He looked at the clock. It was 3:20. He padded through the house, finding Maria asleep in the guest bedroom, but no Gabriella. Then, following a hunch, Troy pulled on a sweatshirt, grabbed a blanket from the bedroom, and stepped outside. There was no sign of Gabriella, but as he approached the tree house in the back yard, a small sniff confirmed his suspicions. He climbed the ladder into his childhood sanctuary.

"Gabriella?" he called softly to announce his presence.

"In here," came the soft reply. She was huddled in a corner of the tree house, shivering against the cool night air. She'd changed into sweats, washed off her makeup, and let her hair down. Her cheeks revealed that she'd been crying, and she raised her head to regard him miserably.

"Oh, baby," he murmured as he settled next to her and gathered her in his arms. He expected a fresh round of tears when she relaxed against him, but she simply stared forward, her eyes glassy. "I'm sorry I fell asleep before you came to bed," he continued, watching her face. "I was worried when I woke up and you weren't there."

"I couldn't sleep," she confessed dully.

Troy unfolded the blanket and wrapped it around both of them before lifting her face to meet his eyes. "Tell me why."

Something between a laugh and a sob rolled up her throat. "Where should I begin? Mom? Sharpay? Or maybe the nightmares?"

"Let's start with your mom," Troy decided. "First of all, I'm sorry for getting upset with her. I'll apologize to her."

"You were right," she mumbled. "But it just… hurt so much to see the two people I love most arguing."

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he repeated. "I've had my opinions about your mom for awhile now, but that was the wrong time and method to voice them. And it was wrong of us to put you in the middle."

She touched his face. "Thank you, Troy. I'm sure that's more than I'll get from her."

"Did you two settle things after I left?" he asked.

"Not really," she answered sadly. "I mean, we talked, but it felt like we were just going around in circles. We didn't get to the root of the problem, and frankly, I have no idea what it is."

"Maybe you'll have a more productive talk tomorrow, after you've both had a chance to rest and think," he offered.

She shrugged noncommittally.

"Now, what about Sharpay?" he continued. "I told you I'd deal with her."

"I can't stop thinking about what she said," Gabriella admitted softly.

"Don't tell me you actually _believe _that garbage," Troy challenged.

"In a way, she was just giving voice to the thoughts in my head." She sniffed again, her eyes flitting around the tree house to avoid looking at Troy, as if gathering the strength to speak. Finally, she drew a ragged breath and settled her gaze on him. "I can't help but feel like I've failed you, like not being able to get pregnant makes me less of a wife, less of a woman. I know how much you want a baby."

A heavy sigh escaped from Troy's chest as he tried to keep his frustration in check. "Sweetheart, you are an amazing wife, and nothing could change the way I feel about you. I want to have a baby _with you. _That part is non-negotiable. Either we do this together, or we don't do it. I didn't marry you just so you could have my babies. I married you because I'm in love with you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Yes, I _want _us to have kids together, but if we don't, I'm still going to love you with all my heart. It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. What matters is me and you, together, for life." He paused and thought for a moment. "Tell me something. If the situation was reversed… If I was the reason we couldn't conceive a baby, would _you _leave _me_?"

"Of course not," she replied without hesitation.

"Then why is it different?" he demanded, his frustration spilling over. "How many times do I have to tell you this? How can you still doubt my commitment to you?"

She glared at him through the darkness. "Do you think I haven't noticed how you've pulled back, how you haven't been touching me the way you usually do? Before today… well, ever since my surgeries, it seems like… you're not attracted to me anymore."

He gaped at her, astounded. "How could you _possibly_ think I'm not attracted to you?"

"Well, what am I supposed to think?" she shot back. "You've always made me feel so… so special, so _loved_. And I don't understand why that's been missing from our relationship, but I miss it. I miss _you._"

"Oh, sweetheart," he murmured, tipping her chin up. "I owe you an explanation and a _big_ apology. I haven't pulled back because I'm not attracted to you. There hasn't been a moment since we _met_ that I haven't been attracted to you. You are a beautiful, _sexy _woman, and the thing is, you don't _try _to be sexy, you just _are. _You have no idea how much that turns me on. It always has."

She shook her head. "I don't understand…"

"You've had two surgeries in a month's time, and we haven't been able to make love for weeks," he explained. "Even when you were recovering from surgery, Gabriella, I still wanted you. I still craved you. I needed to be with you so badly that I was afraid if I touched you, I would lose control. I didn't want to hurt you, or start something that I couldn't finish."

"But I needed that emotional connection with you," she replied. "Why didn't you tell me?"

His head dropped. "I always try to be strong for you, to be the man you need me to be. I didn't want you to see my weakness."

"Troy, I don't want you to bury your feelings to protect me," she told him earnestly. "I need you to be my husband, to love me and comfort me the same way I love and comfort you." She looked down at her hands, fidgeted with her rings. "We promised that to one another when we got married."

"I know," he sighed. His arm tightened around her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I should have told you why I was acting the way I was. The last thing I ever want you to think is that I don't want you, because I do, every minute of every day."

"Even now?" she asked shyly.

He kissed her temple. "_Especially _now," he whispered huskily. "I've missed you so much."

She looked up, and his gaze followed hers. She'd opened the "skylight," and the stars twinkled above them. "Well, we're certainly not under the same roof as our parents now."

His eyes widened, belatedly realizing what she was proposing. "But we're outside, out in the open. And it's the middle of the night."

She smiled at him innocently. "So?"

"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked. "I don't want to push you." She nodded, biting her lower lip.

Determined to take it slow despite his body's desperate need for release, Troy lowered his mouth onto hers and kissed her softly. When he felt her tongue brush tentatively against his lips, he opened more fully to her, tilting his head to kiss her more deeply. His palm cupped her breast, and she moaned into his mouth. The erotic sound spurred him on, and he shifted her so she straddled his lap. Soon Gabriella's hands were everywhere—in his hair, up his shirt, fumbling with the drawstring of his pajama bottoms. He grasped her backside and pulled her tight against his erection, and her hips bucked on him in response.

They broke their kiss in a gasp for breath, and clouds of condensation swirled around them as they exhaled. "Gabriella, are you sure about this?" he asked again. "If it isn't right for you..."

"It _is _right, Troy," she said breathlessly. "Every time we make love is just right, whether it's slow or fast, in bed, in the shower, or in your tree house."

He laughed hoarsely. "I have to confess, in high school, I had the most amazing fantasy about making love to you in here. Back then I could only imagine what it would be like to be with you, but now, knowing you intimately, knowing every inch of your beautiful body, it's even better than my teenage brain could imagine."

She stroked his face. "Show me."

Troy shifted her off his lap long enough to remove his pajama pants and boxers, and swallowed hard as she stripped beside him.

"Leave your sweatshirt on," he instructed softly. "It'll help keep you warm."

"I thought that was _your _job," she teased, although she did as he suggested.

He pulled her back onto his lap, her legs circling his hips, but left space between their lower bodies. Her moan of disappointment turned into a pleasurable moan as his fingers slipped into the curls between her legs.

"Troy," she gasped, gripping his shoulders tightly and kissing him hard.

"I'm here, baby," he breathed into her mouth as he stroked her intimately. He slipped two fingers inside her and fought for control when he felt how warm and wet she already was. She rode his fingers, trying desperately to satisfy the ache deep inside her.

"More," Gabriella demanded. "I need more."

"Take it easy, sweetheart," he instructed hoarsely. "I don't want to hurt you."

Having no interest in taking it easy, she wrapped her fingers around his penis and smiled as air hissed between his teeth. "_Now._"

Finally he obeyed, pulling her forward and sliding carefully inside her. For a few moments, neither breathed, neither moved, as they reveled in the overwhelming sensations of being joined at last. The feel of her in his arms, her silky warmth clutching his shaft, nearly drove him crazy.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Does it hurt?"

"It's perfect," she sighed.

Trying to buy time, he kissed her and thrust slowly inside her. His hands dipped under her shirt and caressed her bare back as her fingers weaved through his hair. It was an incredibly intimate position, with their bodies pressed together, their hands free to roam, and their legs wrapped around one another. After being apart for so long, Troy shook as his held-back urges threatened to erupt like a volcano. He buried his face in the soft skin on the side of her neck.

"Gabriella," he panted. "Oh, baby…"

Sensing his struggle for self-control, Gabriella tilted her hips to meet his thrusts, driving him deeper inside her. The sensation was incredible, and she sped up the pace, urging him to follow her lead. Soon her body began to quiver, anticipating its release, and Troy clutched her tighter, flicking his tongue into her ear.

"Let it go, sweetheart," he whispered. "Remember what I told you last night? I want you to come all over my cock."

His husky voice in her ear drove her to the edge, and she dangled there for a few moments before plunging over into oblivion. Her head fell back as her lips formed a scream that never emerged. Troy held her as she writhed in his lap, caught in the sweet abyss of her orgasm. While her internal muscles continued to spasm around his shaft, Troy resumed his thrusts, no longer able to control the primal force that consumed him. He was desperate not to hurt her, but equally desperate for the release that he'd been denied for so long.

"Are… you… okay?" he forced out in time with his thrusts. "Say… something. Tell me… tell me you're okay."

Gabriella framed his face with both hands, forcing him to look deeply into her eyes. "I'm more than okay, Troy. I'm ready for you. Please, don't hold back. I love you."

Troy's body momentarily relaxed, his conscience eased, before his muscles bunched and tightened once more. The power of his thrusts pushed her up off his lap, but she held his neck tightly to keep their bodies firmly joined. It took only moments before he suddenly froze, buried so deep inside that his tip brushed the opening of her womb. With a long moan, he exploded, throbbing inside her as her walls milked him dry. He relaxed against her, his body nearly limp and completely spent. She held him, running her fingers through his sweat-soaked hair, until his final tremor abated and he gently eased out of her.

As he recovered, his protective instincts quickly returned, and he retrieved their clothing. After they'd redressed, he settled his back against the corner of the tree house, pulled the blanket over both of them and gathered his lover in his arms, kissing her tenderly. She fell asleep quickly, snuggled against him, and he hoped the memory of their love-making would push away her nightmares, at least for tonight. Troy pulled out his phone and set the alarm, and then kissed her hair and went to sleep.

...~«ώ»~...

Their parents were still in bed when Troy and Gabriella crept back into the house and got dressed to go to the show rehearsal. They made it to the school auditorium just before 8:00. Their classmates were already there, with the exception of Sharpay Evans.

"Good morning," Ryan called, gathering everyone around him. "Kelsi and I have put together a tentative order for the show, and we're going to rehearse the group numbers first, starting from the end and working backwards. When we're rehearsing numbers that you aren't involved in, you can take a seat in the audience, or find a quiet spot to rehearse your individual numbers. We hope to be able to do a full run of the show around 11:00, and then break for lunch before the show. For the group numbers, we'll do a simplified version of the original choreography so no one hurts themselves." The group laughed nervously. "Okay, we're going to start with _'We're All in This Together' _from _Senior Year. _After that we'll move on to _'Everyday' _from _Midsummer's Night,_ followed by the group numbers from our earlier musicals. Kelsi, let's do a quick warm-up, and then we'll dive right in."

An hour later, the group had finished the first song and was well into _'Everyday_.' Despite the inadequate amount of sleep Gabriella had gotten, she was energized by her body's memory of the dance steps and the joy of singing with Troy again. After their long-overdue talk and early-morning rendezvous in the tree house, she felt wonderfully close to him again, and the smoldering heat in his eyes as he sang to her revealed that he felt equally connected.

As Ryan went over the next set of dance moves, the doors at the back of the theater burst open, and Sharpay paraded in. Her entourage was smaller this time, with her manager, assistant, and one bodyguard flanking her.

Chad nudged Zeke. "Dude, was Sharpay in some big blockbuster movie that I don't know about? Because it seems like she's the only one who thinks she's famous."

"No, she's just the president of her own fan club," Zeke answered sardonically.

"I bet she _hates _that Ryan and Kelsi are more successful than she is," Taylor interjected. "She's pretended to be famous so long that she actually believes it."

Ryan leaned over the edge of the stage to speak to his sister quietly. "Shar, you're late. We've already learned two of the group numbers. You have a lot of catching up to do."

"Oh, I'm not performing with _them,_" she announced as if her former classmates were utterly beneath her. "I'm a professional, Ryan. I'm bringing in my own back-up singers and dancers for the show. They'll be here at 10:30, so you'll need to be off the stage by then."

"Sharpay, this is supposed to be a representation of our years at East High, presented by our class, not some random performers you've shipped in from Vegas," he argued. "And you seem to be forgetting that Kelsi and I are professionals, just like you are. We put this show together, and unless you do the group numbers like everybody else, you're out. You can use all your props and fog machines and whatever else you've got up your sleeve for your solo number, but for now, you've got some choreography to catch up on. What's it going to be?"

She glared at him, angry enough to spit nails, but he refused to back down. Finally she stomped her foot petulantly and flounced up the steps, taking her place center stage.

"Actually, you're over here," Ryan corrected, pointing off to the side. She stomped again, and Ryan winked conspiratorially at Kelsi. Obviously his experiences working with temperamental actors in New York had taught him how to deal with his sister, the most temperamental of them all. She sulked her way through the rest of the song, only perking up at the end when she stood next to Zeke and grabbed his hand. As soon as the music ended, though, he pulled away and retreated, and she fumed that he no longer fawned over her as he had in high school.

...~«ώ»~...

After they finished learning their last group number, Troy and Gabriella went to the choir room to go over their music for the show. They would be singing the lead parts in _'Everyday,' _and in addition, Kelsi had combined _'What I've Been Looking For' _from _Twinkle Towne _and _'Just Wanna Be With You' _from _Senior Year_ into a beautiful duet medley. The first song represented the show that had cultivated their blossoming relationship and witnessed the first blush of their love, and the second song commemorated their final duet as a couple on the East High stage. Until now.

The years seemed to melt away as they sang together, and Troy couldn't take his eyes off the woman in front of him. Their voices blended seamlessly—they always had, he realized, because they were soul mates, meant to sing together. He'd never met any woman who rivaled her, on stage or in life, and it made the lyrics he sang more real: _"I've never had someone that knows me like you do, the way you do. I've never had someone as good for me as you, no one like you. So lonely before I finally found what I've been looking for."_

_Magical._ That's how Gabriella had always described what it was like to sing with Troy. His silken voice curled around her like a warm breeze, and the intensity in his eyes threatened to turn her knees to rubber. She loved that man more than anything. The words that Kelsi had written ten years earlier still rang true: _"Through every up, through every down, you know I'll always be around. Through anything you can count on me." _Troy had proven, over and over again, that she _could _count on him. _"…Just wanna be with you, only you. No matter where life takes us, nothing can break us apart…" _

Gabriella blinked back tears as Troy took her hand and sang the bridge: _"The sun will always shine, that's how you make me feel. We're gonna be alright, 'cause what we have is real, and we will always be together…"_

She took a breath to join him on the chorus when the door burst open.

"Troy, we need you in the auditorium," Chad told him. "Blondie fell in her ridiculous high heels and she says she hurt her ankle. She asked for you."

"Of course she did," Troy muttered before turning regretfully toward Gabriella. "Do you want to wait here? I'll be right back."

Their hands were still joined, and she laced her fingers with his. "No, I think it's time I staked my claim."

Troy grinned. "That's my girl."

...~«ώ»~...

Sharpay was laid out on the stage with a small crowd surrounding her. Her manager and bodyguard hovered over her fretfully. She whimpered dramatically when Troy pushed through the onlookers to kneel beside her, but her eyes narrowed when Gabriella followed behind him.

"Where does it hurt?" he asked.

She pointed to her right ankle. "I twisted it while I was rehearsing. Oh, I hope it's not broken! So many people are counting on me…" She twisted a lock of her blonde hair around her finger and fanned herself.

Troy lifted her foot carefully and examined it while Sharpay continued to whimper and whine. Other than some redness, it showed no sign whatsoever of trauma. There was no way it was broken.

"It might be broken," Troy announced, glancing at her manager. "I suggest taking her to the ER and having it x-rayed."

"But Troy," Sharpay frowned, "can't you just ice it and wrap it up for me? This is your area of expertise, isn't it?"

"It is, but with your career in entertainment, you just don't want to take any chances," Troy replied, trying hard to sound grim and serious. "I think you should get it checked, and the sooner, the better. If you try to keep using it and suffer additional trauma, you could be out of work for _weeks_."

Her manager paled as Sharpay's frown deepened. This wasn't going at all the way she'd planned it. "Well, Troy, you know best. Could you maybe go to the hospital with me and explain to them what the problem is?"

Troy managed to look regretful as he pushed to his feet. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sharpay, but Gabriella and I still have quite a bit of rehearsing to do before the show. We aren't professional performers like you are. Besides, after her fainting spell yesterday at Lava Springs, I want to stay close to her and make sure she's not pushing herself too hard. She _is _my first priority, after all." He slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders and pulled her tight against his side.

"Thank you, honey," Gabriella played along, sliding her arm around his waist. "It's nice to know that I have such a wonderful husband to take care of me."

"Sis, I think Troy's right," Ryan chimed in. "You can't take chances with your health when you have your show in Vegas to think about."

Sharpay's manager had heard enough to convince him that Sharpay's entire future, and his livelihood, depended on how quickly they could get her to the hospital. Signaling her bodyguard, the two men picked her up and hustled her toward the door. She protested the whole way, ordering them to release her, but the decision was out of her hands.

Ryan reached out to shake Troy's hand. "Well played. Calling my sister's bluff like that was pure genius."

"Thank you." Troy finally allowed the grin he'd been fighting to spread across his face, and he winked down at Gabriella. "Are you able to finish rehearsing, my dear? I wouldn't want to push you too hard."

She giggled. "I think I'll manage," she answered wryly.

"Okay, everybody," Ryan said loudly. "Let's get back to work."

...~«ώ»~...

The run-through with the entire group went smoothly, thanks to Ryan's organization, and everyone chatted about the show as they sat outside on the grass, eating sandwiches that Zeke had brought. They grew increasingly excited as the parking lot began to fill with cars, and soon it was time for the opening curtain. Sharpay still hadn't returned from the hospital, so Ryan pushed back her solo number in case she arrived in time to perform later in the show.

At precisely 1:00, Ryan stepped out from behind the curtain and made a short speech, welcoming the audience and acknowledging the presence of their guest of honor, Ms. Darbus. The audience cheered, and the show began. Troy and Gabriella's first number was about halfway through the program, so they sat backstage to watch the performances from the musicals before _Twinkle Towne. _The backdrop was an eclectic mix of old set pieces that the men had pulled out that morning—a moon, a tree, a row of houses, a camel, a car, and even a small section of the balcony from _Senior Year. _

They were two songs away from _'Everyday' _when Troy glanced at Gabriella and saw her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"Nervous?" he asked, covering her hands with his.

"A little," she admitted.

He chuckled softly. "You get up in front of a room full of students and lecture every day. This should be a piece of cake compared to that."

"Talking about the law and singing onstage with a bunch of people staring at me are two very different things," she told him seriously.

He tilted her chin up. "Remember what I told you at our first audition? Keep your eyes on me, and we'll do this together, okay?"

She nodded and offered him a smile before pushing to her feet. "I guess I'd better get to my spot. We can't have you singing a duet by yourself."

He stood beside her and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead. "See you soon. I'll be the guy with the big smile on his face, singing a love song to his wife."

"And I'll _hopefully _be the one who doesn't freeze up or faint," she smiled. She tilted her chin up for a kiss, and then headed off to her opening mark.

A few minutes later, Troy stepped onto the stage alone and got an encouraging nod from Kelsi at the piano. She began the familiar tune, and Troy cleared his throat before raising the microphone to his mouth.

"'_Once in a lifetime' means there's no second chance, so I believe that you and me should grab it while we can."_

From the back of the auditorium, Gabriella's sweet voice took over. _"Make it last forever and never give it back."_

He answered, holding her gaze as she walked toward him. _"It's our turn and I'm lovin' where we're at, because this moment's really all we have."_

As Gabriella reached him and took his hand, he saw tears glistening in her eyes. But she smiled, and he knew she was okay, just lost in the lyrics and the memories. He squeezed her hand as he led her up the stairs.

"_Every day of our lives, wanna find you there, wanna hold on tight. Gonna run while we're young and keep the faith…"_

Soon they were joined by their friends, who came in from the back and the sides, just as they had at Lava Springs. When they finished the song, the audience came to their feet, cheering loudly. Ms. Darbus, who was seated in the front row, swiped a handkerchief across her eyes.

Troy and Gabriella's duet received an equally enthusiastically response, as did the duet that Ryan and Kelsi performed, one that they had written just for the occasion. Before they knew it, it was time to line up for _'We're All in This Together' _from _Senior Year. _This time, instead of announcing their future plans, each of them would step forward and share what Ms. Darbus meant to them.

Chad went first. "Ms. Darbus taught me to keep an open mind about things that are new and different. If you look at things objectively, they may turn out to be not so bad."

He stepped back as Taylor stepped forward. "Ms. Darbus gave me opportunities to lead and organize, and helped me to broaden my interests and expand my résumé."

Ryan came next. "Ms. Darbus believed in me and encouraged me to pursue my interest in choreography. She gave me guidance and instruction that were invaluable in my continuing studies."

He gestured to Kelsi, and she stepped up. "Ms. Darbus trusted me to write music for several East High musicals, and gave me the confidence in myself and my work to continue writing as a career."

Then it was Troy's turn. "Ms. Darbus taught me to explore my talents and interests, regardless of what others think. To chase my dreams. _All_ of them." He glanced back, reaching for Gabriella's hand. "And I learned that spotlights and applause are so much better when you share them with someone you love." He twirled Gabriella, just as he had ten years before, and stepped back in line.

Gabriella smiled. "Ms. Darbus helped me to believe in myself and be more confident in my abilities. I learned that with the right co-star, _anything _is possible."

Each performer took their turn, and by the time the last person stepped back into place, Ms. Darbus was weeping openly. Ryan led her up onto the stage, and Kelsi handed her an enormous bouquet of flowers. She turned to face the audience and received a standing ovation. When the thunderous applause finally died down, Ryan announced the reception that would take place in the lobby, and with that, the show was over.

...~«ώ»~...

As they mingled in the lobby, Gabriella realized that she'd left her camera in one of the dressing rooms, and so she excused herself to retrieve it. She was on her way back to the party when her path was blocked by the murderous apparition of Sharpay Evans. She had crutches tucked under her arm, and a sizeable bandage on her foot.

"Sharpay, how are you feeling?" Gabriella asked as sincerely as she could.

"It's a good thing you're a lawyer, Gabriella, because I'm going to sue Troy for making me miss the show," Sharpay spat. "He _knew_ my ankle wasn't broken, and he sent me to the hospital anyway."

"He was just being careful," Gabriella defended. "Besides, there's obviously _something _wrong with your ankle, or you wouldn't be on crutches."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "It's just a precaution. My stupid manager is convinced that I'm going to get hurt and lose my show, and then he'll lose his commission." She glanced around at the empty hall. "I can't believe Ryan didn't hold the show for me. I'm sure it was no good without me."

"It wasn't your show, Sharpay," Gabriella replied sharply. "The show was for Ms. Darbus, and she thought it was wonderful. Why does everything have to be about you?"

"Oh, this from the woman who's selfishly keeping Troy from having a family," Sharpay shot back. "If you really loved him, you'd…"

"I _do _love Troy," Gabriella interrupted. "With all my heart. And whether we have a family or not is none of your business!"

"Come on, Gabriella," Sharpay challenged. "Troy gave up a lot to be with you—his life in Albuquerque, a scholarship at U of A, a basketball career, a chance at fame. And now you're making him give up having a family too."

"The only thing I've ever given up for Gabriella is my heart," Troy put in as he approached from behind them. He took his place beside Gabriella and slipped an arm around her waist. "I don't regret any decision I've made, and I'm happy with the life Gabriella and I have built together. People make choices when they love each other. They don't hold each other back; they support and encourage and build each other up."

"Oh, please," Sharpay snorted. "I feel like I'm watching a daytime talk show. What's underneath all the rainbows and sunshine and flowers, Troy? Are you _really _as happy as you pretend to be?"

"Absolutely," he replied without hesitation. "I love my wife, Sharpay."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you already said that."

"Well, I'm going to keep saying it until you get it. Gabriella and I _will _have a family together, one way or another. But I would rather have her and no kids than to have kids with you or any other woman in the world. Gabriella is the _only _woman for me. I am hopelessly, passionately, irrevocably in love with her, and mark my words, that will _never_ change. And unless you stop acting like a spoiled child, the only one that will _ever _love you like that is _you._"

Sharpay's jaw dropped, and for once, she was at a loss for words. Finally, she turned and hobbled back down the hallway, away from the party, away from the stage, and away from the Boltons.

"Good riddance," Troy muttered as he watched her retreat. He turned to face his wife. "Are you okay?"

She smiled, the kind of smile that melted his heart. "Absolutely."

He reached out and surprised her by singing softly. _"Take my hand, together we will celebrate every day."_

Her fingers laced with his, and together, they went to rejoin the celebration.


	17. New Possibilities

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 17—New Possibilities**

"Gabi!" Little Molly Evans spotted Gabriella and ran over as she and Troy rejoined the retirement party. She squeezed Troy's hand before releasing it and kneeling down to Molly's level for a hug.

"Hi, Molly," she smiled. "How are you? Did you like the show?"

Molly nodded enthusiastically. "You singed pretty."

"Thank you. Your mom and dad did a good job too, didn't they?" Molly nodded again, and Gabriella followed the child's shy gaze to Troy. "This is Troy," she introduced as he crouched beside her. "He sang in the show too, remember?" She nodded again. "Troy went to school with your mom and dad."

"I go to preschool," she announced randomly in response.

Troy laughed. "I bet you're a smart girl."

She beamed at the compliment as Kelsi approached with Abby on her hip. Troy pushed to his feet and offered a hand to Gabriella before leaning in to give Kelsi a one-armed hug.

"Great job today, playmaker," he told her. "You and Ryan are quite a team."

Kelsi blushed. "I could say the same for you two. Your connection onstage is as mesmerizing as ever."

Troy grinned at the child that Kelsi held. "And this must be Abby. Your girls are beautiful, Kelsi."

She smiled proudly. "Thank you. Abby, can you shake Troy's hand?" Abby obeyed, and her tiny hand was swallowed up in Troy's large one. When she pulled away, she buried her face in her mother's shoulder.

"She's still a bit shy around strangers," Kelsi explained. "At home, though, she jabbers nonstop!"

Molly tugged on Kelsi's leg. "Mamma, can I go say hi to Miss Maria?"

Kelsi glanced around the lobby and spotted Maria talking to Zeke and Jasmine. "I'll go with you. I think your sister needs a diaper change." She moved away, passing Lucille Bolton as she went.

"There you are," Lucille exclaimed as she spotted her son and daughter-in-law. "My two superstars! Where have you been?" She leaned closer to Gabriella. "I was afraid my son had dragged you off into a dressing room…"

"Mom!" Troy cut her off. Gabriella blushed deeply, and when she ventured a glance at her husband, she giggled to see that he was every bit as red as she was.

Lucille pulled her daughter-in-law into a warm hug. "You two did a wonderful job! I'd forgotten how much I love hearing you sing together. I have to admit, I had tears in my eyes."

"I did too," Gabriella agreed with a soft smile.

Troy grinned and slung an arm around each of their shoulders. "What am I going to do with you two? My favorite women, getting all sappy and emotional on me. Where's Dad? I need some testosterone over here to balance you girls out."

"He took Grandma back to the house," Lucille told him with a jab to his side. "And you'd better be nice to me, especially today!"

"Sorry, Mama," he replied, dropping a deliberately sloppy kiss on her forehead. "Happy Mother's Day." Lucille swiped at the moisture on her skin and poked her son again as Gabriella giggled. Troy feigned hurt as his gaze shifted to his wife. "Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!"

"I am," she replied with a mischievous smile. "This side right here!" She poked him just as Lucille had, and the women laughed heartily as Troy pouted.

Finally, Lucille calmed herself and glanced around. "I think I'm going to head home, if that's okay with you. I overheard Jack talking to Chad and Jason before he left, and I'd be willing to bet that there's a pick-up game in the works for later tonight. Do you want me to take Maria, or can she ride with you?" She stared significantly at Troy, and he guessed that Maria had told her about their argument the night before. Clearly she expected him to make things right with his mother-in-law.

"We'll bring her," he agreed tightly. Lucille nodded with satisfaction and headed for the exit.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy and Gabriella spent the next twenty minutes chatting with their friends and exclaiming over the little ones. Gabriella held Zeke and Jasmine's daughter Tiara, stroking the soft black fuzz that covered her head and laughing as she cooed and gurgled. Taylor decided that Tiara and Eli were destined to wed someday, and she and Jasmine huddled to plan out their children's future. Troy shifted his attention between his friends and his mother-in-law. Maria was in the midst of a lengthy conversation with Taylor's mom, which Troy found a bit strange. Even though Gabriella and Taylor had been best friends in high school, Troy had never known the two mothers to be particularly close.

As the children began to fuss and the crowd thinned, Maria finally made her way over to them. "The show was lovely," she said. "What a nice way to spend Mother's Day." The tension between them was palpable. Gabriella hated that.

"Happy Mother's Day, Mom," she told her, stepping forward to hug her. "I'm so glad you could be here today."

"Me too," Maria answered.

"Yeah, thanks for coming," Troy added. "Happy Mother's Day." He offered her a brief, tense hug before turning back to Gabriella. "Are you ready to go? I'd like to see Grandma before she goes back to the nursing home."

Gabriella nodded soberly, and after a flurry of goodbyes amongst their remaining friends, they headed for the car. The ride to the Boltons' home was tense and largely silent. Gabriella tried several times to spark a conversation, but finally gave up and stared sadly out the passenger window. Troy held her hand across the car's center console, squeezing it occasionally to offer his support. When they pulled up in front of the house, Troy cleared his throat.

"Sweetheart, why don't you go on in and visit with Grandma? I'd like to take a walk around the block with Maria." Gabriella looked at him with wide eyes, obviously fearing an encore performance of their argument from the night before. Troy reassured her with a smile and another squeeze of her hand. "It's okay, honey. Don't worry. We'll be back in a few minutes."

Gabriella glanced back at her mom, whose lips had formed into a thin, tense line. "I'll see you in a few minutes, Mom." With one more searching glance at Troy, she climbed out of the car and went into house. Troy and Maria watched in silence until the front door closed, and then Troy turned in his seat to look at his mother-in-law.

She spoke first. "Troy, I'm not really feeling up to a walk right now. Could we sit and talk on the patio instead?"

Troy nodded in agreement, and they circled the house to settle into the patio chairs. He took a deep breath and leaned forward. "Maria, you and I messed up last night. We put Gabriella in the middle of our disagreement, and we shouldn't have. She is fiercely loyal to both of us, and it was unfair to make her feel like she had to choose between us." His head dropped. "So, I'm sorry."

Maria sighed. "I'm sorry too. Gabi has always been uncomfortable around conflict. I should have taken that into account instead of letting my emotions get the best of me." She stared hard at her son-in-law. "I was taken aback by how tired and thin she looks. Lucille said she fainted earlier at the country club. Is she okay, Troy?"

He nodded. "She's lost a few pounds since her surgeries, and she hasn't been sleeping well since her scare on the flight the other night. But she's recovering, and I'm keeping a close eye on her."

"And what about… Will she be able to get pregnant?" Maria asked.

Troy's brows furrowed. "Her doctor is optimistic. But what she doesn't need is pressure. She puts enough pressure on herself without getting it from us."

"She told me that I hurt her by talking about taking care of your friends' kids," Maria confessed. "I had no idea she would be so sensitive about it."

He paused to control his rising ire. "Of course she's _sensitive _about it, Maria. She wants a baby. We both do. We've been trying unsuccessfully for six months. She's had to face the possibility that she may not be able to have kids, or give you grandkids. She's always tried to please you, to make you proud. How do you think she feels, knowing she may not be able to give you what she knows you want so much?"

"I _want _her to be happy," Maria insisted. "But you're right, Troy. I _do _want grandkids, and I feel like I'm running out of time."

Troy frowned. "What? You're barely 50 years old. You have all kinds of time." He swallowed and pinned her with a hard stare. "It's what you _do _with that time that's up to you. Gabriella _needs _you in her life, more than just a handful of times a year. I do my best to take care of her and to make her happy, but I can't take your place, or fill the void your absence has left in her heart."

Maria's eyes narrowed. "You're wading into dangerous territory, Troy. I can't walk away from my job, or my life in New York, to be there every time my daughter needs me. She knows that."

"She does," Troy agreed. "But that doesn't make it easier for her. Look, I don't want to start another argument, so I'll drop this for now. I just thought you should know how I feel."

She wasn't quite ready to let it go yet. "There's a lot that you don't know, Troy. Possibilities you haven't considered. Did you ever think that maybe instead of neglecting my daughter, I'm actually _protecting _her?"

"Protecting her from what?" he asked. Her eyes dropped, as if she'd said too much. Troy was suddenly struck by how tired and… old Maria looked. "What's going on, Maria? Are you sick? Is something going on with your job? Are you in trouble somehow?"

She shook her head, holding his gaze. "I'll save you some time. There's nothing to talk about. Gabi already asked me at least a hundred questions, and uncovered absolutely nothing."

"Maybe she wasn't asking the right questions," he commented, leaning forward to look more closely at the small red circles he'd noticed at the base of her throat. "Have you had a fine needle aspiration procedure lately?"

Maria's eyes momentarily widened, and then she dismissed Troy's question with a wave of her hand. "I had a swollen lymph node. My doctor decided to biopsy it just to be safe. It was nothing. No problem."

"Swollen lymph nodes are often an indication of infection somewhere else in the body," Troy answered as his brain sorted through the catalog of medical knowledge stored there. "Did your doctor do a thorough examination to look for other problems? Have you had any large abrasions or unexplained pain?"

"Troy, I told you, there's no problem," she insisted. "I can assure you that my doctor has been very thorough."

"If there's nothing wrong, then why haven't you told Gabriella about it?" he asked. "The secrecy just strengthens her suspicion that there's something going on."

"I could tell her that nothing was wrong, but she wouldn't accept that. You know how she worries," Maria told him as she pushed to her feet. "And although I appreciate your concern, the specifics of my health are between me and my doctor."

Shrugging, he stood. "Okay, suit yourself."

He opened the back door and stood aside so she could enter first. He followed her through the kitchen into the living room, where Gabriella was sitting with Grandma Bolton. When Troy and Maria entered the room, Gabriella looked nervously between them, wondering if they'd called a truce. Troy smiled and winked at her before circling the couch to kiss his grandmother.

"Troy!" she exclaimed. "It's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you too, Grandma," he told her sincerely, taking a seat on the ottoman facing the couch. "Did you like the show?"

"Oh, yes," she replied enthusiastically. "It was wonderful. And this beautiful girl…" She patted Gabriella's hand. "She sings just like an angel, doesn't she?"

"She does," Troy agreed with a proud smile. His palm came to rest on her thigh, and she covered it with her own, lacing their fingers together.

"She tells me that she is your wife," Grandma went on. "Is that true?"

"It is," he grinned. "For almost four years now."

"Oh, my," Grandma replied. "Goodness gracious, how time does fly." She turned to pat Gabriella's hand. "My husband and I were married for 53 years before he passed. Jack and Lucille have been married for…" She trailed off, looking to her daughter-in-law for help.

"Almost 30 years," Lucille provided.

Grandma nodded and returned her attention to Gabriella. "And now our little Troy has found himself a lovely young woman to spend his life with. Bolton men are very loyal, dear. He'll stick with you for the long haul."

Gabriella smiled, first at Grandma, and then at Troy. "I have no doubt that he will. He's amazing, and I love him with all my heart. I'm sure you're very proud of the man he's become."

Troy scratched the back of his neck, uncomfortable with all the attention.

Grandma nodded again, pleased with Gabriella's answer. "That we are, dear. That we are."

...~«ώ»~...

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, and all too soon it was time for Grandma to go back to the nursing home and Maria to go to the airport. Ryan and Kelsi and Zeke and Jasmine were on the same flight back to New York, so Troy and Gabriella hugged their friends and waved goodbye to the girls. Finally, Gabriella pulled her mom into a tight hug.

"Thanks for coming, Mom," she murmured into Maria's dark hair. "I love you."

"I love you too, m'ija," Maria replied. "It was good to see you again. I'll call you this week." She released her daughter and turned to her son-in-law. "Goodbye, Troy. Take good care of my daughter."

"I will, Maria," he promised. "Have a safe trip."

She hugged Gabriella once more before turning and making her way to the security checkpoint. Troy noticed tears lingering in her eyes, and looked down to see similar tears on his wife's cheeks. He tucked his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. They waited there until Maria disappeared from their sight.

"Are you okay?" Troy asked quietly as they walked back toward the car.

"Yeah," she answered. "I just can't shake the feeling that… I don't know, that something's going on with her."

Troy shrugged. "If there is something, I'm sure she'll tell you when she's ready. You Montez women have a tendency to keep your feelings bottled up until you've had time to think things through."

She looked up at him. "We do not!" He tilted his head, pinning her with a skeptical look. "Okay, I guess we do. I guess I never noticed that Mom and I share that particular trait."

Troy laughed. "When I was a kid, my mom assigned all my bad traits to Dad, and my good ones to her."

"Aw," Gabriella sympathized. "You have a lot of _good _qualities from your dad—a big heart, loyalty, courage, team spirit…" She tilted her head to look at him curiously. "Why are you smiling?"

"I was just noticing how cute you are," he said, grinning widely.

"Oh yeah, that's another thing you got from your dad," she added. "Charm and flattery."

"Are you saying you don't like my charm and flattery?" he asked, feigning hurt.

"Not at all," she smiled. They stopped to wait for a passing car, and she stretched up to kiss the stubbly underside of his chin. "In fact, you can charm and flatter me all you want, anytime, anywhere."

"You, Mrs. Bolton, have got yourself a deal."

...~«ώ»~...

As Lucille had predicted, Jason and Chad showed up at the Bolton home late that evening for a two-on-two basketball game with Troy and Jack. Lucille, Gabriella, and Taylor sat on the patio and watched them play as Eli crawled around their feet, occasionally pulling himself up to offer them his best slobbery grin. Gabriella wasn't sure which was more entertaining—Eli's adorable antics, or the men who were obviously trying to show off for one another and for their women.

"I think our presence is making them push themselves harder than usual," Taylor observed. "Chad doesn't usually go all out like that when he plays with his school team."

"Maybe it's because Troy's playing," Gabriella theorized. "He _always _plays like that, no matter who he's up against."

"Although I suspect he does take it a bit easier on his dad," Lucille pointed out with a wry smile. "He'd never hear the end of it if Jack got hurt."

"That's true," Gabriella agreed. "When Troy and Mark play, it's all-out war. It's a wonder that neither of them has gotten seriously hurt."

Lucille laughed. "They're both doctors. And they both have women at home who would wring their necks if they injured themselves too badly."

Gabriella giggled. "Oh, Kelly would _kill _Mark if he got hurt with the wedding less than a month away."

"Must be nice, jetting off to Hawaii for a wedding on the beach," Taylor commented. "How many guests will be there?"

"For the wedding, just family and close friends. I think Kelly said around 25 people," Gabriella replied. "There will be at least 200 at the reception they're having back in San Francisco."

Their conversation was interrupted as the men crossed the grass toward them.

"Done already?" Lucille asked.

"Halftime," Jack panted as he collapsed into one of the chairs.

"Who's winning?" Taylor asked.

"Boltons by eight," Chad told her. "Jason and I are just waiting to make our big move in the second half."

Lucille pushed to her feet. "What would you guys like to drink?"

"Water's fine," Jack answered.

"Me too."

"Same for me."

"I'll take a beer."

Chad groaned. "Dude, Jason, you can't drink beer in the middle of a basketball game."

"Why not?" Jason asked. "I do it all the time when I watch Lakers games."

"Okay, four waters, coming up," Lucille decided and headed into the house.

"Looking good out there, Wildcat," Gabriella told Troy as he flopped onto the grass next to her chair.

"Thanks," he smiled. "It's because I have my favorite cheerleader over here rooting for me."

"Gabriella, that man of yours is running circles around the rest of us, even worse than when we were in high school," Chad reported. "I have no idea where he gets all his energy, but being married to you obviously agrees with him."

Troy caught his wife's eye and nodded significantly toward the tree house across the yard. She blushed in response as memories from the night before flooded her mind.

"You'd better step up your workout routine," Troy teased, nodding toward Eli. "Pretty soon your son will be showing you up on the court."

"I know what that's like," Jack said wistfully.

"Come on, Coach, you've still got a lot of game," Chad grinned. "Especially for an old man."

Lucille's return cut off Jack's surly response, and she tossed water bottles to each of the guys.

Jason looked at the label with fascination. "Natural Springs? I didn't know they made beer!"

...~«ώ»~...

Late that night, Gabriella laid in bed, cuddled snugly against her husband. They were on their sides, facing each other, and her face nestled into the hollow just below his collarbone. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself, inhaling the manly scent that was fresh, clean, and uniquely Troy. The nightmare she'd awakened from was slightly different from the ones she'd had for the past few nights. This time, the plane that had crashed had been the one carrying her mother and friends. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the images that lingered in her mind's eye. At least she'd managed to wake from this dream without disturbing Troy. She brushed her fingertips along the hair on his chest, and he tightened his arms around her, gathering her closer even as he slept.

She wished that the mere presence of Troy beside her was enough to quell the tide of her dreams, but apparently her subconscious mind was far too creative to allow that to happen. Her psyche seemed to enjoy enacting worst-case scenarios simply to torture her. Unfortunately, the conscious reality wasn't very comforting. In the morning, she and Troy would board a plane and fly back to San Francisco. The thought terrified her. She'd managed to keep the fear at bay with the busyness of the weekend, but now that the reunion activities were done, there was nothing left to distract her. Realizing that she wouldn't be going back to sleep for awhile, Gabriella shifted slightly, draping her arm over Troy's waist. To her surprise, his lips puckered against her forehead.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice adorably gravelly.

"Yeah," she answered, tipping her head up to look at him. "I was just… um… well, uh…"

"Thinking about the flight in the morning," he finished for her. She nodded, and he shifted to rest his head on his hand. "Did you have another nightmare?" She nodded again, and he tilted her chin up to look in her eyes. "You were supposed to wake me if you had a nightmare or couldn't sleep," he reminded her.

"That's silly, Troy," she argued. "Why should both of us be losing sleep?"

His fingertips traced the lines of her face. "Because I want to take care of you, and I can't do that if I'm over here sawing logs."

She smiled at that imagery. "There _is _a pretty big pile of lumber over there," she teased. "I nearly tripped when I went to the bathroom."

Troy laughed softly before his expression grew serious again. "Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me what's going on in that pretty head of yours."

She sighed. _Might as well give it a shot, _she told herself. "I was thinking… What if we keep the rental car and _drive_ back to San Francisco?" Feeling bad for even suggesting such a time-consuming road trip, she rolled away from him, onto her back. Her escape was thwarted as his big hand grasped her hip and pulled her back to face him.

"I thought about that," he admitted. "But we'll be flying to Hawaii for Mark and Kelly's wedding in less than a month. Don't you think it would be better to face your fear now, rather than the day before the wedding?"

Gabriella nodded. She'd already thought of that. "I know, you're right. And I flew again right after we went down on Thursday, but I was in shock. They told us to get on the new plane, and I did. I probably would've run naked through downtown Phoenix if they'd said it would get me home faster."

Troy rolled onto his back, draping his forearm over his eyes. "Babe, you can't say things like that when I'm trying to keep my hands to myself," he whined. She giggled, and he mock-glared at her. "Don't make me drag you out of here to recreate another one of my high school fantasies about you!"

She snapped her mouth shut tight, knowing that he wasn't bluffing. "That sounds intriguing, but we have to be at the airport in a few hours. I don't think your parents would appreciate having to hunt all over Albuquerque for us when we turn up missing, and I _definitely _don't want to try to explain to them what we were doing."

He felt her cheek heat against his arm and chuckled. "I, for one, would love to see the looks on their faces when they found us, say, on the roof at East High, or in the boys' locker room, or on the golf course at Lava Springs, or in the school library…"

"The _library?_" She challenged. "You're making that up!"

"Nope," he insisted. "You spent so much time there, I imagined what it would be like to take you on one of the study tables. You know, the one way in the back, farthest from the circulation desk? It would be late, so no one would be there, and I'd try to get you to go home, but you'd insist that you had more homework to do, so I'd sit next to you and slide my hand up your skirt…"

She shivered at the thought, and he grinned. "Troy, what are you doing to me?" she asked hoarsely. "Now _I'm _getting all hot and bothered."

Troy stretched to kiss her forehead again and smiled smugly at her. "But now you have plenty to think and dream about besides flying, don't you?"

Her jaw dropped in shock. "Troy Bolton! You did that on purpose?"

"You started it, talking about running naked through Phoenix," he reminded her. "I just opened your mind to…" He pinched her backside playfully. "New possibilities." With that, he rolled to his other side, facing away from her, and burrowed under the covers.

"Oh, I'll get you for that, mister," she threatened, envious that he could go back to sleep so easily. She… well, he was right… she had some new possibilities to think about.

...~«ώ»~...

As they waited to board their plane the next morning, Gabriella yawned and glared at Troy's pathetic attempts to disguise his laughter. She slapped at him, making contact with his forearm.

"It's your fault I'm so tired," she accused.

"But you didn't have any more nightmares, did you?" he pointed out with a grin.

"Depends on what you would call a dream about us rolling around on a library table," she muttered.

"Well, _hopefully _you wouldn't consider that a nightmare!"

"I'll let you know when I'm speaking to you again," she announced, folding her arms across her chest and turning away.

Troy knew that she wasn't really angry at him—she was never that petty. She was just using that as an excuse to not think about their upcoming flight. He played along, quietly standing behind her as she stared out the concourse windows. The public address system flared to life, announcing that their flight to San Francisco would begin boarding immediately. Troy watched his wife, and as soon as her shoulders tensed, he settled his hands there and turned her to face him. The feigned anger was gone, as he'd known it would be, and had been replaced by wide-eyed panic. She gripped his arms so tightly that he wondered if he'd have permanent indentations from her fingernails in his flesh.

"I can't do this, Troy," she whispered frantically, looking from side to side as if planning her escape route.

"Yes you can, sweetheart," he soothed. "I won't let anything happen to you. In a few hours we'll be back in San Francisco, safe and sound."

She looked at him skeptically, and then nodded. "Okay, but if we die, I may not be able to forgive you."

"Fair enough," he smiled, taking her hand and leading her through the tunnel onto the plane.

...~«ώ»~...

Nearly three hours later, as the plane descended through the clouds and smog, Troy decided that he'd never been so glad to see the San Francisco airport. He'd taken care of Gabriella as she'd gotten sick again and again, his soothing words no match for the upheaval of her nervous stomach. His hand throbbed from her vise-like grip, and once, when they'd hit a patch of turbulence, she'd actually drawn blood from the skin on his arm. Despite the battle wounds, though, he felt nothing but pity for her. She looked thoroughly miserable.

"Gabriella?" he murmured, waiting until her bloodshot eyes slid open. "It's almost over, baby. We're getting ready to land. Squeeze my hand as hard as you need to, okay?"

She nodded mutely and scooted as close to him as her seatbelt would allow, burying her face into his side. He could feel her trembling, and he watched anxiously out the window as they approached the ground.

"Okay, sweetheart, we're about to set down," he related softly. "You're going to feel a bump…" The plane's wheels touched down, and she flinched. "And now we're on the ground. You did it, babe. It's over."

...~«ώ»~...

As much as they'd enjoyed their trip to Albuquerque, Troy and Gabriella agreed that it felt good to be home. After they unpacked and started on the laundry, Gabriella announced that she was going out for a little while.

Troy's brows furrowed. "Where are you going?"

Gabriella smiled innocently. "I realized last night that I need to look up a few case files for my summer studies. I thought I'd go over to the campus _library_." Her deliberate emphasis on the last word caused Troy's eyes to widen and his pants to tighten.

"Wh… um… _now?_" he stammered. "By yourself?"

"Why wouldn't I go by myself?" she teased, tracing a finger up her bare leg. "I'm a big girl."

Gabriella would _never _actually act out the scenario he'd described in such a public place. Troy knew she was messing with him, but all his muddled brain could think about was the spectacular ending to his library fantasy. He looked around the room frantically, looking for an excuse to keep her from leaving.

"We have books here," he pointed out.

"So we do," she agreed, walking over to the bookshelf in the living room. She pretended to consider his suggestion, and then turned around with a pout. "But it's not really a _library, _is it? So I'm not sure it'll work. Like you said, we need to explore new possibilities."

He stepped forward, reaching around her to pull a random book off the shelf, and deliberately brushed his arm against the side of her breast. Her tiny gasp encouraged him, so he pressed his body against her back and lowered his head to whisper in her ear. "The 'library' part of the equation is optional, sweetheart. No matter what book you read, the ending's going to be the same. We have books in every room of this house. Take your pick."

Unable to tease him any longer, she turned in his arms and pulled his head down into a fiery kiss.

Sometime later, as she dozed in his arms, Troy couldn't help but think that just like in his tree house, when it came to Gabriella, reality beat fantasy every single time.


	18. Domestic Drivel

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 18—Domestic Drivel**

"Honey, I'm home," Troy called as he closed the front door.

"In the kitchen," Gabriella answered. Troy dropped his duffel bag on the floor and made his way to the kitchen.

"Hi," Gabriella greeted when he appeared in the doorway, swiveling her stool to face him.

"Hey, gorgeous," he replied, striding forward to kiss her. She stood and tilted her face up for his kiss, resting her hands lightly on his chest. His t-shirt stretched across the muscular planes of his body, and his biceps flexed as he pulled her against him.

"How was your day?" she asked with a smile.

"Busy, but okay," Troy answered. "I did a couple of knee replacements surgeries with Dr. Overman." He smiled down at her. "And for some reason, I couldn't stop thinking about you waiting for me at home."

"Oh?" she asked coyly.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I got spoiled over the weekend in Albuquerque, getting to spend all my time with you. I missed that today. I missed _you_."

"I know what you mean," she conceded. "We need to take a vacation together when you finish junior residency. Maybe we could go back to that cabin upstate."

"Ooh, the cabin," Troy growled, sliding his hands down to cup her backside. "I _love _getting back to nature!"

"Easy there, horny boy," she teased. "Focus." She giggled as his bottom lip dipped into a pout and his hands resettled tamely on her waist. "We'll have to schedule around your team physician assignment. When will you find out where you're assigned?"

He shifted to perch on the stool she'd stood from, pulling her to stand between his legs. "Hey, I told you, I'm the one who gets to worry about that."

Gabriella smiled. "Why should you get to have all the fun? Besides, I haven't had _nearly _enough to worry about lately."

Troy grinned, happy that she could joke about her recent misfortunes. "Sorry, sweetheart, this one's all mine." This time _she_ pouted, and he chuckled. "I should find out by the first of August. They assign out all the residents at the same time, even if their athletic seasons don't start for several months."

"And you don't really get any say in where you end up?" she asked.

"I put in my preferences," he reminded her. "All the local high schools, plus Berkeley." He scratched the back of his neck. "That one's a long shot—they almost never assign second-year residents to college athletic teams—but I figured the coach could put in a good word for me."

"But you may not be assigned to a basketball team," she pointed out.

"True," he agreed. "I said I would be willing to work with football, basketball, baseball, rugby, soccer teams—whatever they decide to throw at me."

Gabriella squeezed his shoulders. "Well, I think wherever you end up, they'll be lucky to have you. I know firsthand what a great doctor you are."

"Aw, thanks, baby," he smiled, pulling at her hips to draw her closer for another kiss. When he released her, he gestured back at the neat stacks of papers spread out on the island. "It looks like you've been busy today too. What's all this stuff?"

"This pile here," she pointed, "is for Kelly's bridal shower. These…" Her hand moved to the next stack. "…are applications for graduate assistants for next year. Dr. Lentz dropped them off this afternoon." Her voice lost a bit of its confidence as her hand moved to the smallest stack. "These are pamphlets and applications for Legal Aid organizations in San Francisco." She paused to gauge his reaction before going on. "I'm looking into doing some part-time work in Legal Aid over the summer. They provide free legal advice, and if necessary, representation, for low-income families. I read an article in the Chronicle that said they're in need of bilingual attorneys to work with the Hispanic community."

He studied her intently. "What made you decide to get another job? We certainly aren't hurting for money."

"It's not about money," she told him. "It's about helping people. Almost fifteen percent of San Francisco's population is Hispanic, and many of those people live below the poverty line. I want to do something to help, Troy. I've been so selfishly focused on myself and our… _my_… difficulty conceiving… that it's time for me to think about other people for a change."

Troy tugged at her hips again, drawing her close and linking his hands behind her waist to keep her there. When he spoke, his voice was soft and serious. "First of all, sweetheart, you're the _least _selfish person I know. Second, you were right the first time—it's _our _difficulty, not yours alone. Remember, we're in this together. And third, if this is something you want to do, then I'm behind you all the way."

"Really?" she breathed, scarcely believing he'd agreed so easily. Maybe because she hadn't mentioned that the Mission District, where she would most likely be working, was a rough part of town.

"Really," he said with a slight frown. "Gabriella, you don't need my _permission_ to try something new. You know that, right? I mean, I'm glad you're talking to me about it, but I wouldn't stop you from doing something you're passionate about."

"I _do _know, but it's nice to hear you say it," she said softly. "Thank you." Her hands came to rest on his thighs and the mischievous glint returned to her eyes. "Besides, it's silly for me to stay home all summer and cause you to lose focus when you're seeing patients."

That brought a smile to his face, and he pulled her close again. "Okay, thinking about you waiting for me at home is hard enough, but thinking about how sexy you are when you're practicing law?" He groaned, and his gaze turned lustful. "I remember sitting in court, when you worked for that law firm, watching you present your cases." He swallowed hard. "You were so confident and firm, and I would just stare at your gorgeous body in those tight little suits, and all I could think about was what color panties you were wearing…"

She shivered, but joined in his erotic game. "Sometimes, when I knew you were coming to watch me, I didn't wear panties…"

"What?" he nearly choked.

Gabriella shrugged teasingly. "We were newlyweds. You weren't the most… patient… man back then. Anything to shave off a few seconds of foreplay!"

He gaped at her, scandalized, before she burst into laughter and he realized she'd been messing with him.

"Hey, that was mean!" he whined. Then, realizing that she was trapped in his arms, he tickled her, laughing as she giggled and pleaded for mercy. "That's what you get for messing with my fantasy!"

Finally she managed to escape his hold, and she ran to the other side of the island, looking adorably tousled. She grabbed a wooden spoon from the counter behind her and brandished it like a weapon.

"Stay away from me, mister," she said as sternly as she could manage. "I'm not afraid to use this!"

Troy's eyebrow raised, and a smirk pulled at his lips. "Ooh, my woman's getting rough with me. Are you going to tie me to the bedpost and have your wicked way with me?"

She rolled her eyes, trying her best to keep from giggling. "In your dreams, Bolton."

"Okay, okay, truce." He put his hands up in surrender and rounded the island. She watched warily as he approached, but walked into his arms when he held them out. Unable to resist, she whacked his backside with the wooden spoon.

He howled, his reaction a result of surprise rather than pain. His eyes narrowed. "Oh, that's it, woman! The truce is over!" He tickled her sides once more, holding her tightly as she laughed and flailed at him with the wooden spoon.

When she landed a whack dangerously close to his private area, he loosened his grasp to protect himself, and she seized the opportunity to break away from him. She screamed as he followed her around the island, and he gamely chased her until they were both breathless with laughter.

Finally she put up her hands in surrender, tossed the spoon on the counter, and dropped onto a stool. "Okay, okay, you win," she panted. "At this rate we'll be eating dinner at midnight!"

"You started it," he teased.

Her eyes widened. "I did _not _start it! You've lost touch with reality!"

He nodded with a smirk. "Exactly! I was talking about my courtroom fantasy, and next thing I know, you're chasing me around with a wooden spoon. I'm completely innocent!"

She laughed. "Now _that's _a fantasy! How about if you redirect some of that energy into grilling steaks for dinner? The grill's already hot—I was just about to put them on when you got home."

"Hey, grilling is a _man's _job," he argued before pounding his chest with his best caveman impersonation. "Me big strong man. Make fire. Hunt food, cook meat. Feed woman."

Gabriella giggled. "Well, 'big strong man,' the fire's made and the food's ready to cook." She sashayed over to him and lowered her voice. "But if you 'cook meat' to my satisfaction, I might just let you drag me back to the cave by my hair."

He gulped, slipping out of character. "Damn, baby. You sure know how to make a man's mouth water."

She took over the Neanderthal act. "Me woman. Take care of man. Give man a reason to come home at night."

"You can say that again, sweetheart," he grinned. She handed over the thawed steaks, and he headed out to the grill, his head swimming with a newly-formed fantasy. _'Big strong man' indeed_, he thought. Gabriella had a knack for bringing this big strong man to his knees.

...~«ώ»~...

The last weekend of May, Mark's and Kelly's families were in town for dress and tux fittings, Kelly's bridal shower, and Mark's bachelor party. The wedding was still two weeks away, but since both families lived out of town, all pre-wedding activities had been lumped together to accommodate them.

Gabriella went with Kelly and the bridal party for dress fittings, and the men met to get fitted for their tuxedos. In addition to Troy, Mark's attendants included Kelly's brother Kevin, Mark's cousin and childhood pal Steve, and Lee, a friend and former teammate from Berkeley. They agreed to meet at Mark's place, and when Troy arrived, Mark told him, with an eye roll, that Steve and Lee were running late. Kevin arrived shortly after Troy, and Mark made the introductions. Kevin shook Troy's hand firmly and greeted him with an easy smile. Kevin had the same blond hair and fair complexion as Kelly, but he was at least a foot taller than his little sister.

"So, how do you know Mark?" Kevin asked Troy conversationally.

"We both played on the UC Berkeley basketball team, and then went to medical school together," Troy explained. "We're both residents at the UCSF Medical Center, where Kelly works."

"Troy's wife Gabriella is the Matron of Honor," Mark chimed in.

Kevin nodded in understanding. "Oh, Kelly's told me all about her—good things, of course. How long have you been married?"

"Four years next month," Troy answered with a smile.

"Six years for me," Kevin told him. "My wife and I met in college. Where did you meet your wife?"

"We were high school sweethearts back in Albuquerque," Troy explained. "Gabriella was a big part of my decision to go to Berkeley. She went to Stanford, and I decided on Berkeley to be closer to her."

"And of course, his decision to go to Berkeley gave him the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet me," Mark boasted.

"Has his ego always been this healthy?" Kevin teased, jabbing a finger toward his future brother-in-law.

"Worse," Troy answered. "Kelly's tamed him quite a bit."

Mark mumbled something and escaped to the kitchen to get drinks while Troy and Kevin chuckled.

"Mark and Kelly are a good match," Troy assured Kevin. "He needs a woman who can stand up to him and put him in his place when he gets too cocky."

"Oh, my sister can definitely do _that_," Kevin conceded. "No doubt about it." They both laughed. "Do you have kids?" Kevin asked.

"No, not yet," Troy answered. "We've been trying to conceive for about six months now. Gabriella had surgery three weeks ago to remove fibroids from her uterus, so we're hoping that will make it easier for her to get pregnant."

Kevin nodded sympathetically. "Sorry to hear that, man. Becky had a couple of miscarriages before our son was born. The business of reproduction is complicated, that's for sure." He reached for his phone and pulled up photos on the screen. Troy moved closer to see them. "Matthew is two, and Hannah, our oldest, is five. She's going to be the flower girl in the wedding, and she is _so_ excited about it. She's already been practicing tossing the rose petals."

Troy chuckled. "When our friends Chad and Taylor got married, Taylor's niece was the flower girl. She dumped out all the rose petals in a pile and wore the basket on her head like a bonnet."

Kevin laughed heartily. "Matthew is supposed to be the ring bearer, but we'll see how that goes. It'll all depend on the mood he's in the day of the wedding."

"Terrible twos, huh?" Troy asked.

"Absolutely," Kevin agreed with a grin. "I'll tell you something, though. What you and your wife are going through now is tough, but when she does get pregnant, you'll both enjoy and appreciate it so much more. It really is a magical time, and it goes by so fast."

"I bet it didn't seem quite so fast for your wife," Troy amended. "My mom told me once that the nine months she carried me were the longest months of her life."

"True," Kevin allowed. "We really do have the easy part of the whole equation."

"Okay, okay, all this domestic drivel is making me nauseous," Mark cut in. He handed Kevin and Troy their drinks and then flopped down on the sofa.

"It won't be long before you'll be jumping into this discussion," Kevin told him. "You're about to sign on for a lifetime of 'domestic drivel' with my sister. And while we're at it, I should warn you that if you hurt my sister, I'll have to hurt you. Troy has my permission to knock you around if necessary."

Mark scoffed at that. "Troy is the _least _violent guy I know. He has nerves of steel."

Kevin shrugged. "I'd bet he wouldn't hesitate to defend a woman's honor, though."

Mark stared hard at Troy, and then at Kevin, and backed down. "Okay, you're right. I yank his chain a lot about how 'sensitive' he is, but the truth is, he knows how to treat women. I've always admired that about him."

Troy looked momentarily shocked before he jabbed Mark's arm. "Look at you, getting all soft and sentimental on us."

"Soft and sentimental," Kevin added. "I hate to tell you this, but 'soft and sentimental' is only one step away from 'domestic drivel,' right, Troy?"

"Absolutely," Troy grinned.

"Crap," Mark muttered, causing the other two men to burst into laughter.

"Mark Davis, you are hereby sentenced to a lifetime of 'soft and sentimental' and 'domestic drivel,'" Troy announced, propping his elbow on his friend's shoulder. "Trust me, you're going to love every minute of it."

...~«ώ»~...

"Okay, Kelly, question number nineteen," Gabriella called. "How old was Mark when he got his first kiss?"

"Fourteen," Kelly answered confidently.

Mark's sister Lisa screeched with laughter. "Is that what he told you?"

"Yeah," Kelly answered, no longer confident. "Was he younger than that?"

"No, older," Mark's mother smiled. "Seventeen."

Kelly's eyes widened. "No way!"

Gabriella was equally surprised. "Are you sure? He's always been so… confident… around women!"

"Mark was a bit of a late bloomer," Mrs. Davis confided. "The confidence came later, after his acne cleared up, his braces came off, and he made the varsity basketball team."

"Oh, I am _so _going to use that information against him," Kelly declared.

Mark's youngest sister Amy snickered. "Ooh Mom, you're in trouble now! Mark will kill you when he finds out you've spilled his dark secrets!"

"No way! I will never reveal my source," Kelly vowed.

Gabriella stepped in to get the bridal shower game back on track. "Last question, Kelly. What was Mark's first pet's name?"

Kelly pumped her fist triumphantly. "I know this one! It was a hamster named Ziggy!"

"That's right!" Gabriella responded. "So Kelly got thirteen questions right, although some of her misses can be blamed on the misinformation that Mark gave her. Who had number thirteen?" Kelly's aunt raised her hand, and Gabriella gave her a prize. "Okay, that's it for the games. Please help yourself to refreshments in the tea room."

As the women filed out of the room, Gabriella lingered behind to gather the pencils and scraps of paper they'd used for their previous game. They had reserved space for the shower at a local conservatory because neither Kelly nor Gabriella had enough room at home to house all the women from Mark's and Kelly's families plus Kelly's friends. Gabriella dropped onto one of the overstuffed chairs and blew out a breath. Hosting a shower was exhausting work, she decided. It was fun, but she'd be glad when it was over and done with.

"Gabi, what are you doing in here by yourself?" Kelly's question brought Gabriella's eyes open. She hadn't even realized she'd closed them.

"Just resting for a minute," Gabriella answered.

"Are you okay? You look exhausted," Kelly replied, claiming the seat next to her friend.

Gabriella smiled. "I'm fine. I never realized how much work it takes to host a shower. I've never done one before." Her eyes suddenly widened as she looked up. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I was complaining! It's been fun, it's just…"

Kelly interrupted with a laugh. "Don't apologize! It _is _a lot of work, and you've done a fabulous job." She leaned back, sinking farther into the cushy chair. "I can't believe the wedding is only two weeks away! I never thought I'd say this, but I'll be so glad when it's done and Mark and I can just relax and enjoy our honeymoon."

"I felt the same way before my wedding," Gabriella assured her. "I was going crazy, trying to finish grad school and plan the wedding at the same time."

"I can't even imagine," Kelly answered. She sat up, eyeing her friend thoughtfully. "You and I haven't gotten much chance to talk, just the two of us, since you got back from Albuquerque. Troy said he had a bit of a showdown with your mom."

Gabriella glanced up pensively. "Yeah. They're the two most important people in my life—seeing them arguing was awful. Something Troy said must have connected with her, though. She's called me four or five times since we've been back, just to check in. She's making an effort, so in that regard, it was a good thing."

"So you talked and got things out in the open with her?" Kelly asked.

"Kind of," Gabriella shrugged. "I still feel like she's hiding something, but I couldn't get her to talk about it. Neither could Troy. He keeps telling me that she'll talk about it when she's ready, but it's hard to think that something's going on in her life that she's not willing to share with me. We used to be so close."

Kelly reached across and squeezed her friend's hand. "She'll come around. I think Troy's right. She'll talk about it when she's ready."

"I hope so," sighed Gabriella.

"Speaking of Troy…" Kelly leaned forward and lowered her voice. "How have things been… you know, in the bedroom… since your surgery?"

Gabriella smiled as her face reddened. "Good. Really good. Since Albuquerque, Troy has been so… so loving and tender with me. I mean, he always has been, but it just feels like an even deeper connection between us now. Last night…" She trailed off as her face reddened further. "I can't believe I'm telling you this!"

"Why?" Kelly asked, genuinely perplexed. "I've talked plenty about Mark, haven't I? And the wedding's pretty much all we've talked about for months. We're friends, Gabi. You can tell me anything."

"I guess I haven't had enough girlfriends to know the protocol," Gabriella confessed.

"Well then, I will serve as your girlfriend tutor," Kelly declared before leaning forward again. "Now, tell me about last night."

Gabriella's face lightened to pink, and she leaned forward as well, dropping her voice to barely above a whisper. "Well, last night, after Troy and I… made love… um, he held my legs up on his shoulders and put a pillow under my hips and… he didn't say why, but I know what he was doing. He was keeping his semen in… inside me longer… to increase the chances…"

"Of getting pregnant," Kelly mercifully finished for her. "That's so sweet! Most guys I've dated, once they've come, they're _done_." She paused to grin. "Except for Mark, of course."

"Fortunately Troy hasn't read the 'most guys' manual. He isn't that way with me," Gabriella smiled. "Last night was just incredible. That little bit of extra effort really touched me. Knowing that he wants a baby as much as I do, that he wants his baby inside _me…_ it's amazing. It almost brought me to tears."

Kelly smiled in return. "Troy is one-of-a-kind, Gabi, and so are you. You're going to be awesome parents. I know it hasn't happened as fast as you'd hoped, but I really believe that you _will _have a baby with Troy. You have to try to be patient."

Gabriella stood and pulled her friend into a warm hug. "Thank you, Kelly. I hope you're right. I'm still working on the 'patience' part." They both laughed, and Gabriella gestured toward the tea room where the other ladies were waiting. "Okay, I've hogged the bride long enough. Time to get back to your shower."

"More wedding talk, huh?" Kelly teased.

Gabriella thought for a moment and then smiled. "How about wedding _present _talk?"

Kelly grabbed Gabriella's arm and pulled her toward the tea room. "I'm in—let's go!"

...~«ώ»~...

After their tux fittings, the men went to see a San Francisco Giants game. Mark had decided, or more accurately, Kelly had insisted, that they were too old for bachelor party "silliness" like getting mindlessly drunk, watching strippers, and staying out half the night. Troy completely supported that decision, and had decided on the baseball game as a compromise. They could drink beer at the ballpark without going overboard, and still get home at a reasonable hour. Steve and Lee, who were both single, whined about the "lame" party, but they were outnumbered by married men, including Mark's and Kelly's fathers. They all enjoyed the game, and after the Giants claimed victory, the younger men capped off the evening with dinner at a nearby sports bar. After they finished their meal, Lee and Steve resumed their ridicule of their companions, who were settled back in their seats sipping sodas.

"This is totally ridiculous," Lee complained. "You're not even drinking beer!"

"I have to work tomorrow," Mark told them calmly.

"I do too," Troy added with a glance at his watch. "And my wife is expecting me home soon."

"Becky and I are taking the kids to the beach in the morning," Kevin supplied.

"You guys are pathetic," Steve replied. "Lee, what do you say? Let's go find a strip club and have a _real _party."

"I'm with you," Lee agreed readily. Both men escaped quickly, and the remaining trio chuckled to themselves.

"Mark, you're still single for two more weeks," Kevin pointed out. "Are you sure you don't want to tag along with them?"

"Yeah, Mark, don't you have any wild oats left to sow?" Troy contributed with a grin.

"Nope. Kelly asked me to make it an early night," Mark replied. "We're having breakfast with my family before they head home. Plus she wants to show me her bridal shower gifts." He started to push away from the table, and then he clutched his chest, stricken. "I just passed up booze and strippers for an evening in with my fiancée."

"Kelly will be delighted to know that you aced the test," Kevin grinned.

"Test? What test?" Mark shrieked. "She set this up?"

"Nope," Kevin amended. "Nobody planned it, it just happened. But congratulations, brother-in-law. You just passed with flying colors."

Mark slumped back into his seat and smiled resignedly. "I've just crossed over into domestic drivel, haven't I?"

"Welcome to the brotherhood, my friend," Troy laughed, slapping Mark's back. "It's great to have you here with us."

...~«ώ»~...

"Gabriella?" Troy called as he closed the front door after work the next evening.

"I'm in the bedroom," she answered. He dropped his duffel bag on the floor and followed the sound of her voice.

"Hi," Gabriella greeted him when he appeared in the doorway. She was perched nervously on the side of the bed, and he strode forward to kiss her.

"Hey, beautiful," he replied. "What are you doing?"

She glanced nervously toward the bathroom. "Um, I was just… um… well, I thought that maybe…" She was interrupted by the unmistakable sound of a timer going off. They'd heard that sound plenty of times in the past six months. Troy's eyes widened.

"You took a pregnancy test? Without me?" He glared at her. "I thought we agreed that we were going to do those _together_."

"I'm sorry, Troy," she answered softly. "I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to disappoint you if I'm not…"

He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Sweetheart, how many times do we have to go through this? I want to be here for you, whether it's positive or negative. I'll be disappointed if you're not pregnant, but I could _never _be disappointed in _you_." He sat on the bed and nodded toward the bathroom. "Go on, go check it out."

Casting one last look at him, Gabriella padded in to retrieve the test. When she returned to the doorway a few moments later, he didn't have to ask. The tears that glistened in her eyes revealed her disappointment, and his frustration melted away. His heart ached for her, and for the torture she put herself through every couple of weeks, getting her hopes up, only to be crushed over and over again.

"I'm sorry, baby," he told her, opening his arms in invitation. She came to him and nearly collapsed against him as the tears spilled over.

"_I'm _sorry, Troy," she whispered. "I really thought this time…" She looked up at him miserably. Why can't I get pregnant?"

"Gabriella, it's only been a month since your surgery," he reminded her gently. "Your uterus is still healing. We'll keep trying. We're _going_ to have a baby, when the time is right."

"What if we don't?" she argued. "What if the surgery didn't really fix the problem?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he told her calmly. He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "You're putting too much pressure on yourself, sweetheart. It's not good for you, and it can make it harder for you to conceive."

Her body began to relax, and she stared into his eyes. "I know," she conceded. "I just… I want to have a baby with you so badly."

"I know, honey," he murmured. "I can't wait to start our family together. But whether we have ten kids or no kids, nothing can ever change the way I feel about you." He paused, remembering his playful conversation with Mark, and smiled. "I signed up for a lifetime of domestic drivel with you, and we've just barely gotten started."

She looked at him strangely. "What?"

He chuckled and pulled her down to the bed beside him, shifting so they laid side by side, facing one another. "Never mind." He lowered his mouth to kiss her tenderly. "Remember how I said we'd keep trying to get pregnant?"

She nodded, heavy-lidded, as a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "Remember how I always say that there's no time like the present?"

"Baby, you just read my mind," he growled, rolling to cover her body with his. Domestic drivel indeed.


	19. Wedding in Paradise

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 19—Wedding in Paradise**

"Gabriella? Sweetheart, wake up. We're on the ground."

Gabriella's eyes blinked open, and then squeezed shut again as she remembered where she was. One of her least favorite places—on a plane.

"Gabriella," Troy said a little louder this time. He squeezed her hand, and she peeked one eye open again. "Time to wake up, pretty girl. We just landed. We're in Hawaii!"

As if needing to reassure herself that Troy was telling the truth, Gabriella leaned forward to look out the cabin window. Beyond the asphalt of the runway they were taxiing on, she could see waving palm trees. She shook her head, trying to clear away the fog.

"How do you feel?" Troy asked solicitously.

"Um, pretty out of it still," she mumbled. Since the flight from San Francisco to Hawaii was nearly six hours long, she'd taken motion sickness medication before departure. Despite the mind-numbing stupor it induced, she'd still awakened to get sick twice during the flight.

"How's the nausea?" he asked.

"Okay for now," she answered, resting her head on his shoulder.

He kissed her forehead softly. "Hang in there, baby. We'll be at the hotel within an hour, and then you can lie down and rest until the wedding rehearsal tonight."

Gabriella nodded silently and allowed her eyes to slide closed again. She hated how the medication made her feel, but it was better than spending the entire flight in the tiny bathroom or bent over an airsick bag. She hoped a short nap at the hotel would revive her so she could help Kelly with rehearsal preparations. Kelly and Mark had flown to Hawaii the previous day to meet with the wedding coordinator and make final arrangements, but Gabriella was sure that there would be last-minute loose ends to tie up.

The plane pulled up to the gate, and the passengers stood to collect their belongings. Troy pulled his carry-on and Gabriella's purse from the overhead bin and then offered his hand to pull her up. She stood shakily, and he slid a steadying arm around her waist.

"Doing all right?" he asked. She nodded.

As they made their way toward the baggage claim area, they were greeted by colorfully-dressed Hawaiian women who draped leis around their necks. Troy and Gabriella thanked them graciously, and were only a few steps past the natives when Gabriella swayed. Troy grabbed her arm, fearing that she might faint, but instead she pulled the lei off her neck and shoved it towards him.

"I can't…" she told him hoarsely. "The smell…" She trailed off and looked around frantically, spotting a restroom and rushing toward it.

Troy stood and watched her retreat, his mouth agape, and then looked down at the flowers in his hand. Her sickness was most likely a lingering effect of the flight, rather than the flowers, but he dropped her lei into a nearby trash can and disposed of his as well.

When Gabriella reemerged a few minutes later, her face was pink and her eyelids drooped. He pulled her into a hug, and her body relaxed into his. His hand stroked up and down her spine comfortingly, and Troy was certain that if they stood there long enough, she would go to sleep.

"Do you need to sit down?" he murmured into her hair. She shook her head against his chest. "Do you want something to drink?" Her head shook again. He gripped her shoulders and eased her away from him to look at her face. She looked miserable. "Can you make it to baggage claim, or would you rather wait here?" His head tipped in the direction they were going, indicating that they weren't far from their destination.

"I can make it," she decided, and he released her. She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm to steady herself as they started walking again.

"We'll be at the hotel soon," he reminded her. Once they got there, his number one goal was to take care of her and make sure she rested and recovered in time for the wedding.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy's number one goal went out the window half an hour later when Kelly found them in the lobby of the hotel. She was near-frantic, and Gabriella's dulled senses snapped to attention.

"I'm so glad you're here," Kelly explained hurriedly. "My family's flight is delayed, and Mark's family isn't due for several more hours. Mark went surfing and he's been gone for hours. I've got all this stuff to do before the rehearsal tonight, and I'm going _crazy!_ I need your help!"

Gabriella glanced back at Troy, and then stepped forward to give Kelly a tight hug. "It's going to be okay, Kel. Do you have a list of what needs to be done?" Kelly nodded. "Do you know where Mark went to surf?" Kelly shook her head, and Gabriella glanced at Troy again. "Okay, Troy can take our bags up to our room and then go find Mark. Surely he asked someone around here where the best surf spots are nearby. Now, where's your list?"

Kelly pulled it out of her pocket, and Gabriella guided her to a plush sofa nearby. They both sat, and Gabriella took the paper from Kelly's hands and studied it intently. Troy finally gathered his wits and surged forward.

"Sweetie, you really need to rest…" he began.

"I'm okay, Troy," Gabriella told him.

"Kelly, she was really sick on the flight, and again at the airport when we landed…" he tried again.

"Troy, I'll rest later," Gabriella interrupted quietly. "Kelly needs me."

Kelly looked uncertainly between them before her gaze returned to her friend. For the first time she noticed the weariness in Gabriella's eyes and the droop of her shoulders. "Gabi, if you're not feeling well…"

"Nonsense," Gabriella interrupted again. "You need my help. I'm the matron of honor, and I'm here to help you." She glanced at the list. "I think we should talk to the caterer first, and then we can check on the dancers and flowers after that." She pushed to her feet, and Kelly followed her. "Troy, please call us when you find Mark, and maybe you two can help us knock out the rest of the list."

"Gabriella, I'd really feel better if you didn't…" Troy made a final attempt.

This time, she walked toward him, slipping her arms around his waist. "I'm okay, really. If we get through this list in time, I _promise _I'll take a nap before the rehearsal tonight."

He stared down at her uncertainly. Letting her go was against his better judgment, but if she was so determined to help… She smiled, and his heart melted. And this was the woman, he thought, who only a couple weeks before had insisted that she was selfish. Gabriella routinely put others' needs before her own without a second thought, and he couldn't believe she didn't recognize how _unselfish _she truly was. He smiled and brushed his thumb across her cheek.

"Promise me that if you start feeling sick again, you'll stop and rest," he insisted.

"I promise," she nodded.

Kelly had calmed down significantly, and she looked at Troy earnestly. "I'll enforce that promise, Troy."

Finally Troy grudgingly nodded his agreement and kissed his wife's forehead. "Alright. I'll see you soon."

...~«ώ»~...

By the time Kelly and Gabriella returned to the hotel, Troy had found Mark, and Mark's family had arrived. Troy and Mark stood in the lobby, talking to Steve and Lee, Mark's groomsmen.

"Whoa, who's the hottie that Kelly brought with her?" Mark's cousin Steve suddenly asked.

Mark and Troy glanced toward the entrance, and Troy bristled instantly. "The _hottie_ has a name—it's Gabriella," he growled. "Gabriella _Bolton. _She's my wife, and I trust that you'll treat her with the respect she deserves."

Steve nodded mutely as Lee, Mark and Troy's former Berkeley teammate, pushed him back a few steps, away from Troy. "Dude, trust me, the one thing you don't mess with Bolton about is his woman." Lee glanced back at Troy, and lowered his voice. "I learned that lesson the hard way."

Steve retreated quietly as Troy and Mark moved toward the door. They greeted the women with a kiss, and Troy brushed a curl off of Gabriella's face.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Okay," she answered. He tipped his head to study her, and she sighed. "Maybe a little tired." The discoloration under her eyes indicated how much she was downplaying the truth. Troy wondered how she'd managed to remain upright for the past few hours.

"I forced her to eat some lunch," Kelly reported. "She mostly picked at it, but I made sure that at least some of it found its way to her stomach."

"And stayed there," Gabriella added with a small smile.

Kelly turned to glare at her fiancé, hands on hips. "And you, Mark Davis… I hope you had a great time on your surfing adventure while Gabi and I ran ourselves ragged getting ready for tonight."

He looked sheepishly at her. "Sorry, Kelly. I lost track of time. The waves were _amazing_! I was telling Troy that we should go out in the morning while you girls are getting pampered at the spa."

Kelly's expression softened somewhat. She knew how much Mark loved surfing, but on their _wedding_ day? "You can _only _go surfing in the morning if you take Troy with you. _He's _responsible enough to keep track of time." She glanced at her watch. "Speaking of which… You guys have your suit fittings at 5:00. Hopefully my dad and Kevin will be here by then."

The men had already been fitted for tuxedos in San Francisco, which they would wear to Mark and Kelly's reception the following Saturday back home. For the wedding, though, they would wear sand-colored cotton suits that were more appropriate for the tropical setting.

"Got it," Mark nodded. "And the rehearsal's at 8:00?"

"7:00!" Kelly retorted. "How many times do we have to go over this?"

Mark pulled her into his side. "Relax, babe, I was just kidding. I know the schedule upside down and backwards." He grinned at her. "Remember, I passed the quiz you gave me on the flight down here."

Troy snickered, and Kelly shot him a dirty look. He held his hands up in surrender. Kelly turned her attention back to her fiancé. "And make sure you wear sunscreen. I don't want you looking like a lobster in our wedding pictures."

"I'll have Troy apply it for me," Mark teased.

"No way, man," Troy protested quickly before winking at Gabriella. "If I'm rubbing lotion on anyone, it'll be a raven-haired beauty with gorgeous brown eyes, not a hairy blond surfer dude like you."

"Hey, he's _my _hairy blond surfer dude," Kelly argued lightly.

Troy glanced at his watch. "Now that you've tracked him down, is it okay if I steal my wife for a couple hours? She's overdue for a nap, and I intend to make sure she gets one."

Mark glanced at Kelly, and then smiled at Gabriella. "Go on, Gabi. I'm sorry for disappearing on you guys, but Kelly and I can handle it from here. Go rest, and we'll see you at eight."

"Seven!" Kelly nearly yelled.

Mark winked at his friends before sweeping his fiancé into an exaggerated kiss. Troy seized the opportunity to escape, taking Gabriella's arm and leading her up to their room.

...~«ώ»~...

That evening after the rehearsal, there was a private luau on the beach for the families and wedding party. Troy and Gabriella sat at the head table with the other attendants and enjoyed the traditional food that was served. After the meal, they moved to another area nearby to watch the Polynesian dancers. There were beach chairs and cushions available, but Troy opted to sit on the sand, and Gabriella settled between his knees, her back against his chest. She snuggled into him, sighing contentedly.

Troy understood how she felt. There, on the beach, he was relaxed, happy, and deeply content. The love of his life was in his arms, wearing a sexy shift dress that she probably didn't even realize was sexy. But he'd been staring at it, at _her, _all night. The halter top left her shoulders and back bare, and every time a breeze kicked up from the ocean, the thin fabric wrapped around her legs. Thinking about it just then, Troy realized, was not a good idea, but he would be more than happy to take it off of her when they got back to their hotel room. In the meantime, he brushed away her hair and nuzzled her neck, smiling at her hum of pleasure. She smelled good—an exotic mix of flowers and a touch of spice—a scent that was as fresh, unique, and beautiful as she was.

"I love you," he murmured against her skin.

She turned to look at him and smiled. "I love you too."

Just then, a heavy drum beat started from the stage area, and she turned back to watch, settling comfortably against him. He smiled and took in the whole experience—the tiki torches burning around them, the sound of the ocean nearby, the cool, salty breeze that whispered over them. The droning beat and the rhythmic movements of the dancers were soothing, and soon, Troy felt Gabriella's body relax fully against his. Her head settled in the hollow below his shoulder, and her even breathing told him that she'd fallen asleep. He smiled tenderly and tightened his arms around her. He had to admit, despite the trials they'd endured, life with Gabriella was pretty perfect.

...~«ώ»~...

Early Sunday morning, the day of the wedding, Mark went surfing under the supervision of Troy and the other groomsmen. The women in the bridal party—Gabriella, Kelly's sister-in-law Becky, and Mark's sisters Amy and Lisa—joined Kelly at the spa for a morning of pampering. Gabriella was relieved that she had no lingering nausea and had finally slept off the effects of the airsick medicine. She regretted that the trip to Hawaii was so short, and that she'd spent a sizeable portion of it asleep, but she was glad that she was at her best for Kelly's special day.

The women fanned out around the spa, taking their pick of which services they would indulge in. Kelly and Gabriella each decided to get a mani/pedi and a massage, so they ended up on side-by-side massage tables. They groaned as the massage therapists found and eased tense muscles, and giggled when they hit ticklish spots.

"So, are you ready?" Gabriella asked without looking up. "In a few hours, you'll be a married woman."

"I _am _ready," Kelly answered. She kept her face down as well, but Gabriella could hear the smile in her voice. "I love Mark _so _much, and I can't wait to build a life with him. He sent me a big bouquet of flowers this morning with a beautiful card." Kelly paused and blushed slightly as she remembered Mark's note. "I always said I didn't need a man to make me happy, but as cliché as it sounds, he completes me."

"I know exactly what you mean," Gabriella assured her. "I feel free to be me—_all _of me—with Troy. I don't have to pretend or cover anything up. A lot of people say marriage is confining, but to me, it's liberating."

"Spoken like a true romantic," Kelly giggled.

"Hush," Gabriella teased. "You and Mark are a great match. Before he met you, he had no interest in being tied down. But now he's settled, and committed, and happier than I've ever seen him."

"Thanks, Gabi," Kelly replied softly. "That means a lot to me."

They laid in comfortable silence for awhile before Kelly suddenly sat up. "Oh my gosh, Gabi, I didn't bring Mark's ring!"

Gabriella calmly glanced up at her panicked friend and smiled. "You didn't, but _I _did. It's back at the hotel. Remember, you gave it to me two weeks ago because you were afraid you'd forget it?"

"Oh yeah," Kelly sighed and laid back down. After a few calming breaths, she spoke again. "I think a wedding ring on a man's hand is sexy, don't you? It tells the world he's taken, and it's hot that he's willing to show off his commitment to one woman."

Gabriella bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. "I love Troy's ring, and you're right, it looks really sexy on him. I remember on our honeymoon, I couldn't stop staring at his hand. It took my breath away that a man like Troy made a lifelong commitment to _me_." She blushed slightly. "It still does sometimes."

Kelly smiled. "You make it sound as if Troy is out of your league, and that's just ridiculous. Yeah, he's a great guy, but I think you're pretty great too. And what the two of you have together is magical. I hope when Mark and I have been married four years, we'll be every bit as happy and in love as you two are. Speaking of which, any big plans for your upcoming anniversary… Thursday, right?"

"Yes, June 14th," Gabriella answered. "Troy and I take turns planning dates for special occasions, so I have no idea what he has planned. He hasn't dropped any hints or anything. Maybe we'll just eat someplace nice and then spend the evening in."

Kelly smiled. "That sounds good, but I bet Troy's got something up his sleeve. He loves surprising you. It's adorable."

Gabriella looked over at her friend suspiciously. "Do you know something? He told you, didn't he?"

Kelly laughed. "Oh my gosh, I don't think I can handle a Gabi-style interrogation today. I know _nothing_! Troy knows how much you torment me for hints, so he doesn't tell me when he's planning something unless he needs help. And since I will be here in paradise, thousands of miles away on my honeymoon, I am safely uninvolved."

"So he _is _planning something," Gabriella tried again.

Kelly threw a towel at her. "You are hopeless."

"I am," Gabriella confessed dreamily. "Hopelessly in love."

...~«ώ»~...

By the time the men returned from surfing, the women had already left for their hair appointments. Troy noticed that Gabriella's dress and makeup bag were gone from their room, since the women would be getting dressed at the ceremony site. The wedding would take place at 1:00, followed by a small reception. Most guests planned to fly back to California that evening or first thing Monday morning, and would reconvene for the formal reception in San Francisco the following Saturday.

Troy took a quick shower and ran a dollop of gel through his hair, and then pulled out his shaving bag and lathered his face. As the razor glided across his skin, Troy felt, acutely, the absence of his wife. In the weeks since she'd been home on summer vacation, she'd developed a habit of rising with him in the morning and fixing breakfast as he showered. She often returned to the bathroom as he shaved and snaked her arms around his waist from behind, resting her head against his bare back until he finished and turned to kiss her. She'd giggle over dabs of shaving cream left on his face, and breathe in the scent of his aftershave, which he used simply because he knew how much she liked it. It was a great way to start the day, and the warm intimacy of the encounter stayed with him throughout his work day. He hoped that they'd find a way to continue their new ritual when school resumed in the fall.

When Troy emerged from the bathroom, he glanced at his watch and decided to make a quick phone call. She picked up on the first ring.

"Hey, you," Gabriella murmured down the line. "Did you have fun surfing?"

"I did, but I'm kicking myself for not getting back in time to see you before you left," he admitted. "I miss you."

"I miss you too," she replied. "Have you shaved yet?"

"Just did," he answered. "That _really _made me miss you. How are you feeling?"

"I feel okay, honestly, I do," she told him. He smiled at the lilt in her voice. It had been missing the day before, and its return assured him that she really _was _feeling better. "I'm _so _excited! Mark and Kelly are getting married today! How's Mark doing? He's not going to back out, is he? Because if he does, I swear I'll…"

Troy's hearty laughter interrupted her. "Mark's fine, sweetheart. He's not going anywhere, and even if he tried, Kevin would flatten him. Don't worry, we'll all be there, safe and sound, at 2:00."

"It's at one!" Gabriella protested before realizing that Troy was messing with her, just like Mark with Kelly. She giggled and lowered her voice. "I'll get you for that, Bolton."

"I'm counting on it, _Mrs. _Bolton," he teased. Regretfully, he glanced once more at his watch. "I need to go, honey. I'm supposed to meet Mark in the lobby in fifteen minutes, and I'm not dressed yet."

Troy could swear he heard her gulp on the other end. "You're n-naked right now?" she asked, her voice suddenly low and sultry.

He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting temptation. Under any other circumstance, they could have a _very _steamy conversation about this, but he really didn't have time. "Yeah, baby. I'll see you soon, okay? Love you! Bye." He heard her quick "Love you too" response before his phone clicked off, and he stood for a moment, contemplating whether he should return to the bathroom for a cold shower. Finally, he reigned in his libido, at least for the time being, and got dressed.

...~«ώ»~...

The men were scheduled to have their pictures taken before the wedding, so they arrived at the venue first. The ceremony would be held in a large gazebo at the edge of a pristine private beach. The locale allowed for their more formal attire, but still delivered the soft sounds of ocean waves cresting as a backdrop. A long walkway led from the gazebo through a massive garden, where the reception would be held, to the elegant estate where the women were getting dressed.

"This place is incredible," Troy told Mark as they waited for the rest of the group to arrive. "How did you find it?"

"One of Kelly's dad's business associates," Mark answered. "This is their vacation home."

"Wow, if I had a place like this, I think I'd stay here 24/7," Troy said. "What kind of business is the guy in?"

"Wine," Mark responded. "They own a vineyard in Napa Valley. Kelly's dad's firm has worked with them for years."

"That's awesome," Troy nodded. He noticed Mark fidgeting with his tie and batted Mark's hands away to adjust the knot himself. He made eye contact with his friend. "Are you ready for this? You're not having doubts, are you?"

"No doubts," Mark answered without hesitation. "Just nerves. Kelly's family is all fancy and sophisticated. I don't want to do anything to embarrass her in front of them."

Troy patted his friend's shoulder. "This day is about you and Kelly and the start of your life together. Don't worry about anyone else, just focus on the woman you love, and everything else will fall into place."

"Dude, did you have to use the word 'fall' in that sentence?" Mark fired back.

"Hey, I'm the best man," Troy reminded him. "I've got your back. If you fall, I'll fall harder to take the heat off of you."

Mark laughed and pulled his best friend into a manly hug. "Thanks, man. It means a lot to me that you're here. I wouldn't want anyone else standing up with me."

...~«ώ»~...

By the time the men were finished with pictures, guests were arriving, and Mark's nervous excitement spilled over onto Troy. He was anxious to see Gabriella and, after the wedding, share the surprise that he'd kept secret for so long he feared he'd burst at the seams. Music from a string quartet floated on the ocean breeze, and seagulls soared overhead.

At precisely 1:00, the music shifted to the wedding processional, and the groomsmen lined up behind Mark in the center of the gazebo. After Mark's parents and Kelly's mom were seated, the guests turned expectantly toward the walkway between the garden and the gazebo. Troy craned his neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of the matron of honor, but the path curved just beyond the entrance of the garden, and each attendant came into view only after she stepped through the arch of the garden gate. Mark's sister Amy came first, followed by Lisa. Kevin's wife Becky was next, flanked by Hannah, the flower girl, and Matthew, the ring bearer. Becky and Kelly had determined at the rehearsal the night before that the kids would do best walking with their mother rather than by themselves. Hannah proudly dropped rose petals as she walked, and Matthew held tightly to his mother's hand, swinging the ring pillow at his side. The guests laughed approvingly, and Troy glanced at Kevin and smiled.

Suddenly, Troy's heart leapt into his throat as Gabriella stepped through the arch and start down the walkway toward him. He'd seen her walk the very same path at the rehearsal, but today, as he watched her, he could barely breathe. She was stunning in a cream-colored full-length textured crepe sheath dotted with tiny pastel embroidered flowers. The V-cut of the neckline and thin straps made her breasts look fuller, and the dress skimmed her petite curves. Her hair was styled in a classic chignon with a spray of flowers tucked into it, and she carried a small bouquet that matched the flowers on her dress. On her feet were flirty strapped sandals with slightly elevated heels. As she reached the front, she turned to the left, opposite him. She flashed him a happy smile, and he winked in return.

The music swelled and the small crowd stood, signaling that Kelly and her father were on their way down the aisle, but Troy could not pull his eyes away from the incredible woman before him. She looked… _different _somehow, though Troy couldn't put his finger on why. There was an almost-ethereal glow around her, and she looked so radiant that he had to swallow down the emotion that kept rising in his throat. Gabriella watched Kelly approaching, and Troy could see the genuine love and happiness for her friend in her gaze. Kelly wore an ivory strapless princess gown with a chapel-length train and fingertip veil. Her bouquet was a made with various shades of pink flowers, from blush-colored roses to dramatic star gazer lilies. When Kelly reached the front, Mark stepped forward to take her hand, and only then did Troy reluctantly pull his attention back to the wedding.

When the recitation of the vows began, Troy looked over to see Gabriella staring at him intently, her eyes misty. He wanted to cross the aisle, take her in his arms, and kiss her tears away. Instead, he held her gaze, as he had at their wedding, and silently made the same promises to her that Mark was making to Kelly. When Mark said, "I do," Troy nodded subtly at Gabriella, and she smiled. Kelly's vows came next, and Gabriella's eyes betrayed her emotions as she silently affirmed her vows to Troy. When Kelly said, "I do," Gabriella also nodded toward her husband.

Troy had very little awareness of the rest of the ceremony after that—all he could think about was Gabriella. At their wedding, he'd held her hand throughout the ceremony, and the inability to touch her now was, in his mind, overwhelmingly unfair. He dutifully handed Kelly's ring to Mark when the minister asked for it, and watched numbly as Gabriella slid Mark's ring off of her thumb and handed it to Kelly. Troy forced his attention back to the bride and groom as the minister declared them husband and wife and encouraged them to kiss. But as they turned toward the audience and Gabriella bent to straighten Kelly's train, giving Troy a tantalizing view of his wife's breasts, he was a goner. Mark and Kelly walked up the aisle toward the mansion, and it was only when Gabriella stepped forward and took Troy's arm that he started to breathe again. He quickly recovered, covering her hand with his as they followed their friends up the aisle.

As soon as they reached the end of the walkway, Kelly turned to hug her friend ecstatically, and Troy was forced to surrender the woman he wanted all to himself. He hugged Mark, and then reached for Kelly as Gabriella moved on to Mark. Finally, _finally, _Troy pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her passionately. The other members of the wedding party whooped behind them, but Troy didn't care. When he finally released her, he cupped her face, stroking his thumbs across her face, and rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you," he whispered.

Her eyes conveyed the same intensity that he felt. "I love you too, Troy."

They stared at one another for a few moments, words unnecessary, before they reluctantly parted. Guests were streaming into the garden, where the reception would take place, and the photographer was already calling for bridesmaids to line up. Gabriella stepped back and giggled when Troy refused to release her hand. He raised it to his mouth and kissed it before he let her go, and she blew him a kiss over her shoulder as she followed the other bridesmaids back toward the gazebo.

_Soon, _Troy thought with a smile as he watched her walk away. _The wedding's over, and now it's time for the honeymoon._

...~«ώ»~...

After what seemed like a million photographs, the wedding party was finally able to join the reception. Mark and Kelly mingled with their families and guests, looking blissful and happy and in love. Lee approached Troy and whispered something to him.

"Sweetheart, there's something I need to go help the guys with," Troy told his wife as he brushed a kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

She looked at him warily. "Troy, please, no pranks. Kelly will kill you, and Mark will spend his wedding night on the couch."

He chuckled. "Nothing like that, sweetie. I'll be back soon. Save me a dance, okay?"

She smiled and watched him walk away. She'd always thought he looked good in a suit, and today was no exception. Movement to her right caught her attention, and she giggled as two-year-old Matthew turned in circles, trying to catch a butterfly. Soon his sister stepped in to help, ready to shed her flower girl decorum for a few minutes. They ran in circles as the butterfly floated on the breeze, and their carefree laughter unexpectedly caused Gabriella's chest to tighten. When a waiter walked by with a tray of champagne glasses, Gabriella stopped him and took one. Nearby, Kelly's eyes widened and she quickly approached, pulling Gabriella to an empty table a few feet away.

"What are you doing with champagne?" Kelly demanded. "I haven't seen you drink alcohol in _months—_ever since you started trying to get pregnant."

Gabriella sighed. "Well, I know I'm not pregnant, so I might as well indulge a little."

"How do you know?" Kelly asked. "When did you take your last pregnancy test? You know it takes at least two weeks after conception for a pregnancy test to register a positive, so even if you get a negative result, it doesn't necessarily mean you're not pregnant, it could mean you're not pregnant _enough._"

"I took a test earlier this week," Gabriella said to cut off Kelly's rambling. "And the next day, my period started. That's pretty strong evidence."

"Was it a normal cycle?" Kelly pressed.

"It was light, but Dr. Grant said to expect that for the first couple of months after surgery," Gabriella told her.

Convinced, Kelly covered her friend's hand. "I'm sorry for butting in. Are you okay?"

Gabriella smiled and reclaimed the champagne glass from Kelly's hand. "I am. I mean, I'm disappointed, but Troy's been so wonderful." She sipped her drink and gestured around them. "And it's pretty hard to be upset in a place like this."

Kelly grinned. "I know, it's incredible, isn't it? And I'm _married, _Gabi! I'm Mrs. Kelly Davis!"

Gabriella laughed. "You _are! _Isn't it wonderful? I'm so happy for both of you! And so jealous that you get to spend the week in paradise!"

"I know," Kelly agreed. "I wish you guys could've stayed longer."

"Yeah, right," Gabriella snorted. "It's your _honeymoon, _Kel! Enjoy the quality alone time with your husband while you can. Welcome to life as a resident's wife. I keep telling Troy we need to take a vacation, but it's tough to schedule around all the requirements in the residency program."

Kelly suddenly seemed distracted, looking around as she bit her lip. Spotting Mark, she grinned and pushed to her feet. "There's Mark. Doesn't he look handsome? I'll talk to you a little later, okay, Gabi? My groom owes me a dance."

Gabriella smiled as Kelly rushed towards Mark, understanding her friend's desire to be by her new husband's side. Gabriella had felt the same way at her own wedding. She took a long sip of her champagne and arched her back in a stretch. She was worn out, though she wouldn't admit that to anyone, and she dreaded the long flight back early tomorrow morning. Warm hands settled on her shoulders, and a whisper tickled her neck.

"Madame, I believe you owe me a dance," her husband's sexy voice murmured behind her.

She took a breath to make a teasing comment, but he nipped the delicate skin behind her ear, and her brain stopped functioning. A soft moan tumbled from her lips, and an answering chuckle sounded over her shoulder.

"So is that a yes?" he asked huskily.

She nodded, and he offered his hand to pull her to her feet. They walked the short distance to the gazebo, where the string quartet played for a handful of couples, including Mark and Kelly. Troy pulled Gabriella close and began swaying with the music. She nuzzled her forehead into his neck, loving being in his arms.

As they danced, Troy leaned down to whisper in his wife's ear. "I have a surprise for you."

She looked up at him in confusion. "What?"

"We're not flying home in the morning," he murmured. "We're spending our anniversary in Maui."

She took a step back, staring at him in shock. "But our anniversary's not until Thursday. What about work?"

He grinned. "I took the week off."

It was too good to be true, and she couldn't help but be suspicious. "Troy, is this the joke you guys cooked up? Because if it is…"

"Gabriella, it's not a joke," he assured her. "I'm completely serious. You said we needed a vacation together, and where better than the place we spent our honeymoon four years ago?"

"Oh, Troy," she gasped, finally convinced and unable to form her thoughts into words. She felt as if her heart might explode, and she threw her arms around him, laughing euphorically as he lifted her off the ground.

"Surprise, baby," he whispered again, pulling her closer. "I hope you're ready for one spectacular honeymoon!"

"It'll have to be amazing to top the first one," she murmured. Looking up at him, her eyes abruptly widened. "Troy! I don't have any clothes! How am I supposed to stay here for a week with nothing to wear?"

"I packed some things for you," he answered. "Of course, you don't need much—a couple of bikinis and some sinfully sexy lingerie. We don't even need to go out—we'll spend the week in bed."

She giggled. "So it'll be just like our first honeymoon?"

"Even better, babe," he promised with a wink.

She hugged him again, and Mark and Kelly moved toward them on the dance floor.

"Geez, about time, Bolton," Mark teased. "I was beginning to think I would take that secret to my grave!"

"You knew?" Gabriella demanded. She turned to Kelly. "And you knew too, didn't you?"

Kelly laughed. "Hardest secret I've ever kept in my life! I packed some extra clothes for you too."

Gabriella's eyes widened as her brain tried to work out the details. "We're not… together…are we? I mean, the stuff you were saying over there about wishing we weren't leaving so soon…?"

"We're not honeymooning together, Gabi," Kelly assured her. "We're close, but we're not _that _close!"

Troy beamed, thrilled with his wife's reaction. "Mark and Kelly are staying here. We're taking a ferry over to Maui this evening. We have a private villa." He leaned close to whisper, "A _very _private villa."

"Sounds perfect," she breathed euphorically.

After all, what could be more perfect than a honeymoon in paradise?

...~«ώ»~...

_A/N: Reviews are encouraging and always-appreciated treats!_


	20. Honeymoon in Paradise, Part 1

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 20—Honeymoon in Paradise, Part 1**

_A/N: Special thanks to Robin for her research help and advice for this chapter.  
_**This chapter is rated M.**

Gabriella rolled over, shielding her eyes with her arm as sunlight streamed through slatted windows above the bed. Her tired brain struggled to remember where she was and how she'd gotten there. Forcing her eyelids open a fraction, she looked around the unfamiliar room. The white painted walls were accented with wood and cane trim. She was alone in a king size bed, and a ceiling fan spun above her. Finally, the sound of the ocean waves brought her mind into focus, and she remembered that she was in Hawaii with Troy. After Mark and Kelly's wedding reception, Troy and Gabriella had boarded a ferry to Maui, where they'd spent their honeymoon four years earlier. Gabriella vaguely remembered stepping off the ferry and settling into a rental car, but that was where her memory ceased.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Troy smiled from the doorway. "Are you ready for some breakfast?"

She sat up and looked around, confused. "I don't remember coming here last night."

He chuckled. "You fell asleep in the car. You were so exhausted from the wedding, you could barely stay awake on the ferry. I carried you in and put you to bed when we got here last night."

Her face fell. "I'm so sorry, Troy. I don't know why I've been so tired lately. This is such an amazing surprise—I can't believe I fell asleep on our first night here." Tears pricked at her eyes, and he stepped forward and lowered himself onto the bed.

"Hey, hey, no tears on our honeymoon," he murmured, sliding his arm around her and pulling her head into his chest. "We have plenty of time, and I want you, my bride, to be well-rested so I can wear you out again."

She giggled softly. "And how do you intend to do that?"

"Well, there's horseback riding, swimming, hiking, and snorkeling," he told her. She nodded her approval, and he leaned close to her ear. "And I'm going to make love to you over and over again until we both collapse in a heap." He leaned forward to kiss her lingeringly, and then smiled against her mouth. "How is it that after nearly 24 hours of craziness, you still look and feel and taste as amazing as you did yesterday?"

She smiled. "I'm naturally gifted that way, I guess."

"You're naturally gifted in a _lot _of ways," he said huskily, squeezing her bottom as she snuggled closer to him.

"Mmm," she sighed approvingly. "That feels nice."

He patted her backside and scooted to the edge of the bed to stand. She moaned in protest. "I promise there's a lot more where that came from, but first, I have breakfast waiting on the deck, so you need to get up and get dressed, or I'll whisk you outside in your slip."

She lifted the covers to confirm that that was all she was wearing, and pretended to huff indignantly. "Hmm, it looks like _somebody _undressed me while I was asleep last night."

He leaned on the doorway once more, his grin lopsided. "That was Mark. I didn't think you'd mind." He laughed as she heaved a pillow in his direction, missing badly. "Just kidding, babe," he added unnecessarily. "Nobody gets to see you like that but me. You're all mine."

...~«ώ»~...

After Gabriella showered and dressed, she took a belated tour of the villa. It was open and airy, with sloped ceilings and big windows framed with slats that could be opened to let in the sound and scent of the ocean. The overstuffed furniture and wood trim gave the place a warm, homey feel. Gabriella gasped when she opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the deck, where Troy was waiting for her. The deck itself was fantastic, with a hot tub, lounge chairs, and a gas grill. But what truly stole Gabriella's breath was the view. They were perched on a hill, and the ocean rimmed the entire back section of the property. Beyond the neatly manicured garden, a path led down the hill to the beach. To the left was a stunning view of the beach—miles of white sand, turquoise blue, and lush green, and far in the distance, mountains.

"Troy," she breathed, glancing at him to see his wide smile, lit with boyish excitement.

"Do you like it?" he asked expectantly.

In answer, she stepped forward into his arms, hugging him tightly and showering his face with kisses.

"It's perfect," she murmured into his neck.

Troy seated her at the patio table, and they shared a relaxed breakfast as they watched the seagulls circle over the cresting waves. Gabriella stood to clear away the dishes, and squealed when he pulled her down onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and twirled his hair with her fingers. Despite the perfect setting, one thought still troubled her, and she stared at the horizon for a long moment. Troy's fingers pulled her chin back to face him, and he leaned forward to rest their foreheads together.

"Tell me," he murmured.

"What?" she bluffed.

"Whatever you were just thinking about that made you sad," he answered.

She sighed. He knew her too well. "This is amazing, Troy, and I just… I wish we could get pregnant while we're here," she said longingly.

"Who says we can't?" he nipped her earlobe, and then dropped his head to kiss her neck.

He felt her jaw tighten and pulled back to look at her. "The timing's wrong, Troy," she told him regretfully. "I had my period last week. I'm not ovulating."

"Forget about the timing," Troy told her earnestly. "This trip is for _us, _Gabriella. You and me, husband and wife, lovers. When we were here four years ago, we weren't trying to conceive a baby. We made love to celebrate our commitment to each other and our new life together. Sweetheart, I want this week to be free of pressure and expectations, because no matter what happens, no matter when or how we have a family, this, right here… us… it's precious. I want this trip to be special for _us._"

She stroked his face. "It _will _be special, because you're here with me. I don't need a big house or expensive gifts to make me happy. _You _make me happy. I love you so much."

"Not as much as I love you," he smiled.

Standing up easily with her in his arms, Troy carried his wife back into the house, and they spent the next few hours proving their love to one another.

...~«ώ»~...

The rest of their first day in Maui was easy and relaxed. They walked hand in hand on the beach, swam together in the ocean, and lounged on the deck, taking in the spectacular view. They were surrounded by complete tranquility—other than the occasional passerby on the beach, they had been completely alone. Most of the resorts and tourist destinations were on the west coast of Maui, but Troy had chosen a rental on the southeastern coast. It was a more rugged, less-developed area, with rocky beaches and lush forests. It was perfect for their escape into pure solitude.

As they sat on the deck and watched the sunset, Troy traced his finger up his wife's bare arm.

"So," he began, "we've been on the beach pretty much all day, and we've only seen a few people here."

"Yeah?" she acknowledged, confused by the randomness of his statement.

"It's been… well, practically deserted, wouldn't you say?" he pressed.

"I guess so," she shrugged. Then her eyes widened as she realized what he was talking about. "Oh no, you're not still lobbying for sex on the beach, are you?"

He grinned widely. "Well, you wouldn't do it with me four years ago. I was hoping maybe you'd changed your mind."

She looked scandalized, just as she had when he'd proposed it on their first honeymoon. Though they had a fantastic sex life, Troy had a lingering fantasy about making love outside, in nature. It didn't necessarily _have _to be a beach—that was just the most accessible option at the time. The risk of being caught by a passerby in the midst of an illicit act thrilled Troy as much as it terrified Gabriella.

She looked up at him uncertainly. "Troy, I… I don't know. I just think I'd be too… scared..." She looked down at her hands, which were wringing nervously. Her next words shocked Troy. "But I guess… I mean, if you would enjoy it…"

She was actually on the verge of agreeing to do it when Troy slid his hand over hers. "I'm thrilled that you would even consider doing it for me, but I wouldn't want to do something like that unless _both _of us could enjoy it."

"I just don't know if I could," she told him honestly. "I mean, it would be incredible, but…" She squinted toward the beach, rising to her feet and gesturing to prove her point. A man was jogging along the shoreline with his dog. "See, _that's _what I'm afraid of," she reiterated. "What if _that _guy jogged by while we were… in the middle of…" She trailed off, too embarrassed by the hypothetical scenario to finish.

Troy pushed to his feet beside her and slipped an arm around her waist, silently cursing the man on the beach. "It's okay, sweetheart. I would never push you to do something you're not comfortable with."

"Thank you," she said apologetically.

Releasing her, he took her hand and walked her to the edge of the deck. He stood behind her, kneading her shoulders gently as she took in the landscape. Feeling her desire to change the subject, he pointed over her shoulder to the mountains in the distance.

"What do you think about a hike up there tomorrow? The property manager told me about a secret trail that leads to some incredible waterfalls. We could pack a picnic and take our time." He turned her to face him and smiled. "I _like _taking my time with you."

"That sounds good," she agreed with a nod, glancing significantly at the hot tub. "Plus, when we get back, we can ease our sore, tired muscles in there."

"I love the way you think, sweetheart." Troy leaned in to kiss her forehead. "This is why I married a genius."

...~«ώ»~...

The next morning, though, Gabriella wasn't feeling much like a genius. She was feeling hot and sticky and sore and tired. The property manager had been right—the 'secret trail' was lush and beautiful, and they hadn't seen a single person since they'd turned off the coastal highway onto a dirt road that took them to the mouth of the trail. They were somewhere in one of the massive forest reserves that covered much of the eastern section of Maui. The trail followed a freshwater stream that coursed down the coastal side of the sprawling Haleakalā volcano. It was a steady, but not too steep, uphill climb, and after a couple hours of hiking, Gabriella was more than ready for a break. She was in good physical shape, but her regular exercise routine paled in comparison to the rigorous fitness training that Troy and Mark put themselves through. Still, the landscape was breathtaking, and they stopped often enough that Gabriella had managed to keep up admirably. The trail was narrow, and most of the time she walked behind rather than beside Troy. She was determined not to slow him down, and he was so enthralled with the nature around them that he didn't notice his wife's increasing fatigue as they worked their way up the trail.

When they reached a relatively flat area that opened up next to the stream, Troy suggested that they stop for lunch. Gabriella gratefully plopped onto a rock, and only then did Troy see her red face and sweat-dampened hair.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his voice suddenly husky with concern as he crouched in front of her.

"Yeah," she panted. "Just hot, and a little light-headed. Must be the altitude."

"Why didn't you say anything?" he questioned, pulling the canteen from his backpack and offering it to her.

She drank several long swallows and offered it to him, but Troy shook his head, indicating that she should keep drinking. He tugged at the laces of her hiking boots, and when she lowered the canteen again, he helped her up and walked her to the edge of the stream. Resettling her on another rock, he pulled off her boots and socks and lowered her bare feet into the cool water. It felt heavenly.

"This will help you cool down faster," he explained. "Keep drinking."

Next, he pulled a handkerchief from his backpack and plunged it into the stream. Then he wrung it out and draped it around the back of Gabriella's neck. He crouched beside her again, and his blue eyes searched her face.

"I'm okay, Troy," she told him softly. "Just overexerted a bit. You're in better shape than I am."

"You should have told me," he scolded gently. "We could've stopped to rest, or even turned around and gone back."

"No way," she argued. "It's beautiful here." She looked at him wryly. "Although I'll enjoy it more if I have enough breath to stay upright."

"Duly noted," he grinned. "Ready for some lunch?"

She nodded, scooting over to make room for him on the rock. They talked easily as they ate their sandwiches and energy bars, and by the time they finished, Gabriella was feeling better. Troy decided to hike a little farther up the trail to see if he could determine how far they had left to go, and Gabriella stayed on her rock, contentedly splashing her feet in the cool water. When he returned for her, his face was lit with a secret.

"Do you trust me?" he asked eagerly.

"Of course I do," she answered. "What is it?"

Without another word, he slung his backpack onto his shoulders and swept her up in his arms.

"Troy! What are you doing?"

"I thought you said you trusted me," he charmed, walking back in the direction he'd just come.

"What about my boots?" she argued.

"We'll come back for them. We're not going far."

Sure enough, a few bends in the trail brought them to a clearing, and Gabriella gasped. Troy lowered her to her feet as she took in the deep turquoise pool in front of a sparkling waterfall that was not too much taller than the man-made one at Lava Springs in Albuquerque. High rock walls and lush vegetation flanked the pool, and farther upstream, a larger waterfall thundered onto the rocks below.

"Wow, Troy, this is incredible!" she enthused. He was quiet behind her, and when she turned, she was utterly shocked to see him peeling off his clothes. His shirt and boots were already off, and as she watched, wide-eyed, he pulled off his socks and dropped his shorts, leaving him in his boxer-briefs.

"What are you _doing_?" she gasped.

He didn't answer. Instead, he grinned boyishly and then ran a few feet onto the rocky overhang and did a cannonball into the water. The pool was crystal clear, and she watched as he swam underwater until he reached the base of the waterfall. When he finally resurfaced, shaking his wet hair off his face, she laughed in spite of her shock.

"Troy Bolton, you're crazy!" she called between giggles.

"Yep," he grinned. "Crazy for you! Come on, I dare you to jump in!"

"I don't want to hike back down in wet underwear," she argued.

"Swim naked," he answered cheekily, and her face flamed.

"What if someone sees us?"

He laughed. "We haven't seen another living soul on this trail all day. Come on, babe… the water feels amazing! The only thing that could make it better is if you were in here with me."

She stood on the edge and debated for a full minute. Troy was right—they had not passed a single hiker on the trail. With the beauty of their surroundings and the absolute isolation, Gabriella felt like they were the only two people on the entire island. Before she could lose her nerve, she pulled off her shorts and lifted her shirt over her head, but left on her cream-colored bra and panties. Even with the thought of hiking in wet clothes, she couldn't bring herself to strip all the way. She waded a few feet into the water and then dove under the surface, slicing through the clear water until she came up by Troy's side.

"Thanks for coming in," he grinned. "I wasn't sure you would."

"Neither was I," she admitted. Biting her bottom lip, she moved toward him. She reached for him, but instead of draping her arms around his shoulders as he expected, she gripped his shoulders and levered herself up enough to push him under the water. He came up sputtering, and she laughed merrily.

"Woman, you're in for it now," he threatened with a laugh, and she squealed as he moved toward her. She dove in the other direction, and he gave playful chase.

Their game continued for awhile as they chased each other around the natural pool, splashing, dunking, and laughing. Troy caught Gabriella in the middle of the pool, where they couldn't reach the bottom, and she leaned into him, trying to catch her breath through her giggles. Troy's eyes darkened as they dropped to her breasts. Through the wet lace of her bra, her nipples puckered under his gaze, and she sucked in a breath as he slid his arm around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders, loving how easily he supported both of them in the water.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured. His hands slid up her back to find the hook of her bra, and a moment later, her breasts bobbed free in the water like twin buoys. He flung the soaked undergarment toward the bank, and before it even hit the rocks with a thwack, his mouth settled over one breast while his hand cupped the other. She cried out in surprised pleasure and dug her fingernails into his shoulders, pulling him tighter against her.

"Troy…" she gasped, unable to finish her thought as he nipped and sucked first one nipple and then the other.

He treaded water to keep them both afloat, but she felt the hard ridge of his erection whenever their bodies brushed together. Reaching between them, she slid her hand over his crotch, but he batted her hand away.

"Not yet," he murmured against her skin. "First I want to watch you come." He punctuated his statement by sliding his hand down to cup her intimately through her panties. She bucked against his fingers, and he cut off her cry by covering her mouth with his. Her clit throbbed as he rubbed maddening circles around it, and when he released her mouth, she moaned in blissful agony.

"I wish I could taste you right now," he whispered to her. "You're so warm and wet, I bet you taste incredible, like sea and sunshine and perfection." She wriggled against him as he slid her panties down her legs and allowed them float away. His powerful legs sliced through the water rhythmically, holding her against his chest as he pleasured her. His erection was rock-hard under her bottom, and her nipples rubbed achingly against the hair on his chest.

"Do you like it when I touch you here?" he asked, circling his thumb closer and closer to her clit. She nodded mutely. "What about here?" Two fingers slid inside her, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. "Do you know where I really love to touch you?" he taunted softly.

She whimpered. "Troy, please…"

"Answer the question," he ordered. "Do you?"

She shook her head frantically, trembling with need.

"Right _here._" He pressed his thumb into her clit while his fingers plunged deep inside her, and she shattered. He covered her mouth with his to silence her scream, and continued to work his fingers into her as she came in powerful waves. Her body went limp, and if he hadn't been holding her up in the water, she would surely have slipped below the surface and drowned.

Finally, she looked up at him with heavy eyelids, and he chose that moment to withdraw his fingers from her body. Instead of washing them off in the water, though, he raised them to his lips, and she watched, wide-eyed, as he slid them into his mouth and tasted her moisture. She groaned with renewed arousal and was reaching for his waistband when they suddenly heard shouts above them.

Troy looked up and noticed for the first time a pedestrian bridge that spanned the canyon a few hundred feet upstream, above the next waterfall. He looked down to see the horrified look on Gabriella's face. She was embarrassed and vulnerable, and he realized how very exposed she was in the clear water. Tucking her tightly into his side, he swam toward the waterfall. He dipped under the pounding water and pressed her against the smooth rock behind it, covering her naked body with his.

"What if they come down this trail?" she asked fearfully.

"They won't," he answered, hoping his voice sounded confident. "They're on a perpendicular trail, going a completely different direction." He glanced around. "But just to be safe, I'll go get your underwear. Stay here."

She didn't even have time to protest before he dove back through the waterfall. Back out in the pool, Troy looked back up at the pedestrian bridge. Whoever had been there was gone. Even if they'd crossed while Troy and Gabriella were out in the open, it was unlikely that they'd seen anything from such a distance. Still, Gabriella was modest and shy about her body, and guilt slammed Troy as he realized that he'd put her in the very type of situation he'd promised he wouldn't—exposed, embarrassed, and uncomfortable. He kicked across to where they'd jumped in and grabbed Gabriella's bra, and then swam around the outer edge of the pool until he found her panties.

When he returned to Gabriella behind the waterfall, he found her trembling, though he couldn't tell whether it was from fear or cold. Regardless, he pulled her against his chest, and she clung to him.

"Is anyone out there?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "I couldn't see or hear anyone, and if they'd turned down this trail, they would have passed us by now. It's okay, sweetheart." He pulled back to look at her. "Gabriella, I'm sorry for pushing you to do that out in the open. Are you okay?"

She chewed on her bottom lip as she considered her response. "I never really understood your infatuation with making love out in nature, but…" She smiled shyly. "I think I get it now."

"Good, because being out there with you, feeling you come apart in my hands… It was one of the hottest things I've ever experienced."

"Really?" she whispered.

"Absolutely," he answered.

He leaned in, intending to kiss her cheek, but she shifted, landing his lips squarely on hers. He kissed her lightly at first, but as arousal reignited, he touched his tongue to her lips, testing the waters, and she opened to him. His mouth opened and his head tilted to kiss her more deeply, and he yelped when her hand suddenly brushed against his erection. Her fingers dipped below his waistband and wrapped around him.

"Gabriella…" he moaned, dropping his head backwards.

"I believe we have some unfinished business to take care of," she smiled. "A fantasy to fulfill."

They were in thigh-deep water, being showered with spray from the waterfall, and all Troy could think about was his wife's hand around his penis. She worked him with practiced skill, and he braced his hands on the rock wall behind her, willing himself to remain upright in the small space.

"Oh, baby," he cooed, closing his eyes to enjoy the sensation of her touch. He felt her lips on his chest, working slowly downward to his navel, and then following the trail of hair from there down to meet her hand. His eyes slid open, and the sight of her on her knees in front of him, smiling and looking up mischievously, almost sent him over the edge. She dragged his boxer-briefs down his legs and off before catching his eyes again.

"Tell me what you want, Troy," she murmured. Her hand slowed, and he wanted to cry out in frustration. He supposed he deserved it, considering how much he enjoyed teasing her, but at the moment it just seemed grossly unfair.

"You're killing me, baby," he said hoarsely. Her hand slowed even more, and he became frantically afraid that she would stop. "Your mouth, Gabriella," he finally told her. "I want your mouth on me."

She quickly obliged, wrapping her lips around the head of his penis as her fingers continued to pump his shaft. His legs stiffened with arousal, and his fingers plunged into her hair, holding her loosely against him. He watched her, struggling to keep himself in check. He was unbelievably turned on as she met his gaze and spread her lips wider to take more of him into her mouth. She cupped his sac with her other hand, sucking and teasing him until he abruptly pulled away.

"Troy, what…?" Her question was cut off when he gripped her under the arms and pulled her back to her feet. Then he lifted her, pressing her back against the rock wall behind her, lined himself up and thrust as hard as he could into her.

"Oh," she gasped, digging her fingernails into his shoulders.

"Hold on," he growled, and she obediently draped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. Her back arched, drawing him farther into her body, as his hands gripped the tender flesh of her backside. He held himself still for a few long, aching moments, just enjoying being inside her. It was pure bliss. His head tipped down to look at her and the delighted smile on her face melted his heart.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Never been better," she told him before grabbing his head and pulling his mouth down on hers. They kissed fiercely as he started thrusting into her, his face taut with tension. She curved her body into his, her back scraping along the slick rock behind her.

"Oh, Gabriella," he moaned. "Baby…"

"Harder," she gasped. "I need more."

His thrusts intensified, and he leaned in to whisper in her ear, telling her all the dirty things he wanted to do to her, the ways he wanted to take her.

"Tr-Troy… I'm going to come," she whispered. He bit softly into the shell of her ear, and a hoarse scream echoed in the tiny cavern.

He captured her mouth and kissed her hard, holding still inside her as tremors squeezed her around him. When she began to relax from her climax, she adjusted her grip around his shoulders and nuzzled in his neck.

"Now, Troy," she ordered. "Take me now. Come inside me."

With a guttural growl, he sunk his fingers into her hips and thrust up into her as hard as he could. She cried out with each thrust, and he felt his climax building. Suddenly she bit into his shoulder, and he exploded, pouring himself into her body. His orgasm seemed to go on and on forever, and when he began to regain his senses, he felt Gabriella shaking. Fearful that he'd hurt her, he eased her away from his chest. The look of sated contentment on her face made him smile, and he kissed her tenderly.

"Wow," she breathed when their lips parted.

"Yeah," he agreed with a soft chuckle. "You're incredible, baby. Absolutely incredible."

"Likewise," she replied. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Reluctantly, he lowered her back to her feet and pulled out of her. She mourned the loss of him.

He kissed her once more, and then scooped her into his arms and carried her through the waterfall, back into the sunlight. Unwilling to let go, he swam with her to the edge and climbed out. Gabriella giggled when he sat her on a rock and went to retrieve his backpack. He sat next to her and grinned sheepishly as he zipped it open and pulled out a towel and bathing suits for both of them.

Gabriella's eyes widened, and she smacked Troy's arm. "You had swimsuits all along? You little sneak!"

Troy winked at her. "Come on, sweetheart. I'd say it work out just fine, for _both _of us."

She smiled shyly. "Agreed."

He splashed back into the pool to retrieve their undergarments, and she watched his bare backside with appreciation as he went. Quickly she dried off, tied on the bikini he'd brought for her, and pulled her clothes on over her suit. She giggled as he returned to land, making no effort to cover his naked body.

"It doesn't do much for a guy's ego when his girl laughs when she sees him naked," he pouted.

"Troy, after what we just did, I don't know how you could _possibly_ have ego issues," she answered.

She tossed him the towel and he dried off before pulling on his board shorts. Then he settled behind her on the rock and pulled her back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her as they basked in the afterglow of their unforgettable sexual encounter. He swept aside her wet hair to brush his lips against her neck.

"How are you feeling, lover?" he asked softly.

"Wonderful," she murmured her response. "Happy. In love."

"That makes two of us," he responded. His voice thickened. "By the way, you should know that waterfalls have just replaced beaches at the top of my list."

She turned, offering a contented smile. "Mine too."

He swept his thumb across her cheek. "I love you, Gabriella."

"I love _you_," she answered. "Thank you for today. I'll never forget it."

"Neither will I," he winked. "_Trust _me, neither will I."

...~«ώ»~...

Back at their villa that evening, they shared a casual dinner and then curled up together on the deck to watch the sunset. Since their waterfall adventure, Troy had barely been able to keep his hands off his wife. Gabriella loved the attention—it made her feel special and sexy and alive. Now, stomachs full, she curled into his side, inhaling his earthy, masculine scent, while he traced patterns on her arm.

"So, Mrs. Bolton, what would you like to do tomorrow?" he asked. "The hike today took longer than I thought it would..." He paused to kiss her cheek. "So tomorrow, we'll do whatever you want."

"Hmm," she pondered. "Maybe something a little less strenuous than today was. I'll have to think about it."

"Take your time sweetheart," he said. "We've got all night."

She turned into his waiting mouth, and he cupped her face as they kissed tenderly. She rolled toward him, seeking more contact, and his hand slid up to squeeze her breasts. He felt her flinch and quickly pulled back.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Are your breasts sore?"

"A little," she admitted.

He looked at her sheepishly. "I was pretty rough with them today, wasn't I?"

"I'm not complaining," she smiled. "Just… handle with care."

Troy carefully wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "I promise, baby, this time will be slow and gentle, just for you."

...~«ώ»~...

The next day, after they spent a leisurely morning in bed, Gabriella decided on an afternoon of adventure, knowing how much Troy would enjoy it. They went snorkeling and parasailing together, and then she lounged on the beach below their villa and watched Troy surf. She loved seeing how much fun he was having, and she feasted her eyes on the chiseled perfection of his body. His board shorts rode low on his hips, and droplets of water glistened on his chest hair when he coasted back to the beach.

"One more run before dinner?" he asked, sounding like a little boy.

She smiled. "Make it two more, and then I'll bring dinner down to the beach."

"Deal," he grinned, blowing her a kiss before he turned and splashed back into the ocean.

Gabriella sat back to watch for a few more minutes before she returned to the villa, and a feeling of deep contentment settled over her. Troy had been right. What mattered was them, their relationship, and their life together. She felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

...~«ώ»~...

After they ate dinner, Troy suggested that they go for a walk along the shore, and they held hands and drank in the beauty of the ocean and the setting sun. They came to a wider section of beach, where the sand extended beyond the massive rocks that lined the shore. Troy pulled Gabriella toward them, away from the ocean, and when he helped her over the rocks, she saw a large heart drawn in the sand. Inside it were the words "Marry Me."

"Aw, that's so romantic," she gushed. "Someone proposed right here on the beach!"

"Well, not quite yet," Troy said from behind her. She turned and gasped as he lowered himself to one knee.

"Troy, what are you…?" she started to ask, but he shook his head.

"Don't interrupt me while I'm trying to propose," he scolded, his eyes twinkling as he reached for her hand. He cleared his throat, and her other hand came up to cover her mouth as she finally realized what was happening.

"Gabriella Rosalyn Montez Bolton, will you marry me?" he asked.

"Of course," she answered easily.

He stood and cupped her face in his hands. "I'm serious, Gabriella," he murmured. "We're getting married tomorrow, on our anniversary. I've already made the arrangements."

She stared at him, dumbfounded, as tears pricked at her eyes. One broke loose and slid down her cheek, and he swept it away with his thumb.

"So, is that a yes?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered. "Always yes. I love you, Troy."

"I love you too," he answered. "And tomorrow I'll make you mine forever."


	21. Honeymoon in Paradise, Part 2

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 21—Honeymoon in Paradise, Part 2**

_A/N: Thanks again to Robin for her valuable input on this chapter._**  
****This chapter is rated M.**

Troy laid in bed with his wife snuggled into his side, smiling as he watched her sleep. Soon he would have to wake her so they could get packed and drive through Maui, up the Hāna Highway to Kihei. It was Thursday, June 14th, their fourth wedding anniversary, and Troy had planned a vow renewal ceremony for that evening. They would stay overnight at one of the beach resorts in Kihei, and then fly from Kahului back to San Francisco on Friday afternoon.

Gabriella stirred, and he pressed a kiss against her forehead. This trip had strengthened their relationship tremendously, and after everything they'd been through together, it was like a healing balm that soothed the pain and disappointments they'd endured. Troy felt deeply in love and happily reconnected to his wife, and was pleased that she had finally allowed herself to relax and enjoy their time together, free from worries about jobs, babies, or field assignments. The night before, after he'd proposed to her on the beach, he'd brought her back to the villa and made love to her slowly and tenderly, just the way she liked it. Afterward they'd talked and kissed and cuddled until he was ready again, and then they'd started over.

"That must be some daydream to cause a smile like that," Gabriella's sleepy voice murmured beside him.

He smiled. "It wasn't a daydream, it was a memory," he corrected, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "I was thinking about last night."

She returned his smile with a slight flush of her cheeks. "Last night _was_ pretty amazing," she conceded.

"Yeah," he added huskily, stroking his thumb across her face. "Happy anniversary, sweetheart."

"Happy anniversary, Troy." She stretched up to kiss him, breaking into a giggle when his stomach suddenly growled loudly. "Mmm, I think my man's hungry."

"Hungry for you," he answered, lowering his mouth onto hers again.

She indulged him for a few seconds, and then gently broke the kiss. "What would you like for breakfast?"

Instead of answering, he shook his head. "No way, you're not making breakfast. A bride shouldn't have to lift a finger on her wedding day."

"It's a vow renewal ceremony," she reminded him unnecessarily.

"Hey, don't spoil my fun," he scolded lightly. "You did all the work planning our wedding four years ago, so this time I'm taking care of everything. All you have to do is show up and be beautiful." He winked over his shoulder as he swung his legs out of bed, retrieved his boxers from the floor, pulled them on, and stood.

"Well, I'm feeling a little less than beautiful right now, so if you're cooking, I'm going to take a shower," she announced as she sat up and straightening her short nightgown. She pushed to her feet and then teetered as dizziness suddenly struck.

Troy, on his way to the bathroom, darted back to wrap a steadying arm around her waist. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked anxiously.

"Nothing, I'm okay," she assured him. "I just stood up too fast and got dizzy for a second. I'm all right now." He refused to relinquish his hold on her, so she squeezed his forearms. "Troy, really, I'm okay. I feel fine now."

He looked unconvinced. "Maybe you should eat before you take a shower," he suggested. "I don't want you to fall in there and hurt yourself."

"There's a bench in the shower," she reasoned. "If I get dizzy, I'll just sit down." She stared at him resolutely until he finally nodded.

"Take it easy, and call me if you need me, okay?" he instructed.

She smiled innocently at him. "Is dizziness the _only _reason I can call you? What about loneliness?"

Troy tipped his head back, fighting temptation. If they started this up again, they'd never make it to Kahului in time. He kissed the tip of her nose and then stepped away resolutely. "Breakfast will be ready in 20 minutes."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella sighed contentedly as she stepped into the shower. She felt sleep-deprived and wonderfully well-used, with the amazing contentment that comes after a night of great sex. As she replayed the scenes of their love-making in her mind, she realized, with a measure of surprise, that she hadn't thought at all about getting pregnant. She'd simply enjoyed being with her husband, exploring his body anew, even though she knew every inch of his skin as well as she knew her own. He was truly magnificent, his body chiseled and firm and beautiful, but what touched her most was his heart. She could look into his crystal blue eyes and see his very soul. She knew, without a shred of doubt, that he loved her proudly and absolutely, and that knowledge thrilled her, because she felt the same way about him. She couldn't wait to stand with him that afternoon and promise him her life and her heart. They were no longer hers to give—she'd willingly surrendered them to him years before—but her promise would be no less sincere. She loved him, and no matter what happened down the road, they'd get through it together.

...~«ώ»~...

Nearly three hours later, Troy turned into the parking lot of the resort where they'd be staying in Kihei. They'd stopped several times along the coastal highway to take in the breathtaking scenery, and Gabriella had blushed cutely each time Troy had pointed out a waterfall. They'd talked and laughed and sung along with the radio, holding hands across the console the whole way.

The resort was beautiful, set right on the edge of Maalaea Bay. While Troy checked in, Gabriella stood in front of the lobby's large glass panes that faced the ocean. Boats of every size, shape, and color filled the bay, and farther out, massive cruise ships dotted the horizon.

"Mrs. Bolton, your room is ready." Troy stepped behind her, wrapping an arm around her middle, and pulled her back against him.

"This view is incredible, Troy," she enthused.

"I'm glad you like it," he smiled. "That's the view you'll be looking at when we get married tonight."

She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head down to rest their foreheads together. "No," she corrected softly, "_this _is the view I'll be looking at. My handsome husband."

He smiled and lowered his head to kiss her, marveling again that she was his.

"So, I couldn't help but notice that mall in Kahului," she grinned when they separated. "Do I have time to do a bit of shopping before our wedding?"

Troy checked his watch. "It's a 40-minute round trip. How much time do you need to shop?"

She shrugged noncommittally. "Depends how fast I find what I want. An hour, two tops."

He nodded. "That'll work. Do you want me to go with you? Maybe I should drive since you've had a couple of dizzy spells."

She laughed softly. Troy was sweet and protective and caring, and she realized—not for the first time—how lucky she was to have him. She smiled up at him. "No, I'll be fine. I have some important errands to take care of."

"Oh?" he inquired. "You're not planning to run off with some hot surf instructor named Sven, are you?"

"No way," she smiled. "His name is Javier…" His scandalized huff made her giggle. "I'm just kidding, babe. The only man I'm interested in meeting up with on this island is a strong, handsome man with blue eyes that match the ocean and a heart of gold."

"Sounds like quite a guy," he teased.

"He is," she said softly.

He leaned in for a brief kiss, and then handed her the car keys and one of their room keys. "You go ahead. I'll take our stuff up to the room, and then I have a few loose ends to tie up before the ceremony tonight. Try to be back by 4:00. That'll give you enough time to get ready without feeling rushed." He pulled her against his body again and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

"Absolutely," she grinned. She wouldn't miss it for the world.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella paused when she walked into the mall, scanning the nearby shops. Spotting a directory, she rushed over, and to her relief, found what she was looking for. Since the extension of their trip to Hawaii had taken her completely by surprise, she'd left Troy's gift in San Francisco, tucked safely in her dresser drawer. She'd been thinking for several days about what kind of replacement gift she wanted to get for Troy, and she'd finally struck upon an idea that she liked.

Twenty-five minutes later, Gabriella walked out of the store, her purchase neatly wrapped and tucked into her purse. She moved toward the exit, but as she walked past a department store, a display of dresses caught her eye, and she couldn't resist the temptation to check it out. She'd been planning to wear her cream-colored bridesmaid dress for the vow renewal ceremony—Troy had assured her that the hotel staff would have it cleaned and pressed by the time she got back—but as she approached the racks, her breath caught. Her fingertips brushed over the filmy layers of a beautiful white dress. It had spaghetti straps and a low bustline with a satin ribbon that cinched underneath and tied in the middle. A band of iridescent crystals spread from under the bust and widened as it dipped to the back of the dress.

Before she could change her mind, Gabriella pulled the dress from the rack and went into a dressing room. As soon as she put the dress on, she knew it was hers. The empire waist was flattering and feminine, and accented her breasts nicely. The satin sheath skimmed down her body to just below her knees, and was overlain with tiered layers of sheer fabric that made the dress look light and flirty, but also sexy. She pulled out her phone to check the time, and then shimmied out of the dress and draped it over her arm as she left the fitting room, heading in the direction of the lingerie section. Troy had been the one arranging all the surprises that week, and Gabriella couldn't wait to unveil a few surprises of her own.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy nodded with satisfaction as he took one last glance around the suite he'd booked for the night. The manager would come in and take care of a few final details while Troy and Gabriella were out that evening. Everything was in order for the ceremony, thanks to Mark's groomsmen, who had fanned out with Troy during Mark and Kelly's reception to make arrangements with the minister, photographer, and florist. Now, Troy was dressed in tan trousers and a white linen dress shirt with the top two buttons undone. He draped his navy sport coat over his arm, thinking he might need it later in the evening after the sun went down. Patting the pocket of his jacket to make sure Gabriella's gift was tucked safely inside, he pulled the door shut and made his way to the vast lobby, where he would wait for his bride.

...~«ώ»~...

When Gabriella returned to their suite, she was surprised that Troy was not there. Instead, she found a vase of flowers and a note on the dresser. Leaning her hip on the wooden furniture, she read:

_Gabriella, my beautiful bride—  
__Meet Matt, the hotel manager, in the lobby at 4:50—He'll escort you to our wedding site.  
__I can't wait for you to walk down the aisle, back into my arms where you belong.  
__I love you, baby, today and always.  
__Forever yours, Troy_

Gabriella blinked away tears as she laid the note back on the dresser. She bent to smell the white and pink flowers in the vase and realized that the stems were bound with floral tape, ribbon, and pearl pins. It was a bridal bouquet. She shook her head in amazement at the man she loved. She turned in a slow circle, taking in the beauty of the suite. The king-size bed was covered in white linens, with a canopy of gauzy white material draped above it and down each bedpost. There was a roomy sitting area with jewel-toned chairs and a matching sofa. The terrace looked out over the ocean, and in between, scores of palm trees waved in the breeze. She gathered her toiletries to shower, and was surprised yet again when she walked into the bathroom and discovered an elegant whirlpool tub that was intentionally big enough for two.

She showered quickly and applied light makeup before slipping into her new undergarments, dress, and shoes. She gathered her hair up in a loose knot and inserted pearl-tipped pins to hold it in place. She studied her appearance in the mirror, and smiled when she imagined Troy's reaction. Finally, she retrieved Troy's gift from her purse and tucked it carefully into the small bag she'd bought to match her dress, along with the hotel room key and some tissues. Ready and anxious to see Troy again, she picked up her bouquet and bag and headed for the lobby.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy stood impatiently under a canopy of blossoms in the lush tropical garden that was tucked between the hotel and the beach. The blended scent of salty ocean, fragrant flowers, and warm sunshine was intoxicating, and Troy took in the sheer beauty of his surroundings as he waited. All of a sudden, though, the beauty around him paled as he caught sight of Gabriella walking toward him on the arm of the hotel manager. She was heart-stoppingly beautiful, and Troy was vaguely aware that all the air had left his lungs. She smiled when she spotted him, and for a few moments, he considered rushing up the walkway, sweeping her into his arms, and carrying her back to their room.

He shook his head, trying to get his thoughts under control, and when he looked up again, she was only a few feet away. Abandoning wedding protocol, he closed the distance between them and stood speechlessly in front of her. The hotel manager released Gabriella's hand from the crook of his arm, and his movement spurred Troy into action. He took the manager's place by his wife's side, offered his arm, and covered her hand with his own. Together they stepped forward to face the minister.

"Troy and Gabriella," the minister began. "Four years ago, you pledged your love and commitment to one another. You promised to love, honor, cherish, and keep one another, for better or worse, for the rest of your lives. Together you have experienced joy and pain, triumph and failure, celebration and disappointment, and you have created a home and a life together. Today, at the beginning of your fifth year as husband and wife, in the presence of God, you have come to this beautiful setting to renew your vows and to pledge, again, your eternal love to one another, in eager anticipation of whatever life may bring you."

Gabriella sniffed, but she smiled when Troy squeezed her hands, never taking his eyes off of her. His own emotions swelled within him, but he held himself together for her sake.

The minister continued. "Good relationships never stop growing. Like fine wine, they get better with age. Troy and Gabriella, I remind you that marriage is a precious gift, a lifelong commitment, and a daily challenge to love one another more fully and more freely. With this understanding, Troy, will you continue to take Gabriella as your beloved wife? Will you continue to be a tender, faithful husband, keeping yourself only unto her? Will you continue to love, honor, comfort, protect, cherish and keep her in sickness and in health, in times of want, in times of plenty, for better or worse, for the rest of your lives?"

Emotion clogged Troy's throat, and his voice cracked slightly as he promised, "I will."

The minister's gaze shifted to the bride. "Likewise, Gabriella, will you continue to take Troy as your beloved husband? Will you continue to be a loving, faithful wife, keeping yourself only unto him? Will you continue to love, honor, comfort, support, cherish and keep him in sickness and in health, in times of want, in times of plenty, for better or worse, for the rest of your lives?"

"I will," Gabriella whispered. A tear spilled from her lashes and down her cheek toward the smile that trembled on her lips. Troy released her hand to brush it away with his thumb, cupping her face tenderly before reluctantly dropping his hand.

"Troy," the minister went on, "at this time I invite you to share with Gabriella, in your own words, what she means to you."

Troy cleared his throat and ran his thumbs across his wife's knuckles, gathering strength from her as she smiled up at him expectantly. "Gabriella, the first time I met you, I knew you would change my life, irrevocably, for the better. You have made me happier than I ever imagined I could be. You are smart and beautiful, sweet and giving, the kind of woman that makes me want to be a better man. You are the love of my life. I want to go to bed with you every night and wake up with you every morning, and make sure that you know, every day of our lives, how very much I love you."

The minister nodded and turned to Gabriella. "Gabriella, at this time I invite you to share with Troy, in your own words, what he means to you."

Tears swam in Gabriella's eyes as she looked up at her husband. "Troy, you're everything I ever dreamed of and more. A part of me came to life when I met you, and I am grateful every day for the blessing of you. You are my strength and my protector, my lover and my soul mate, my supporter and my comforter. You make me feel safe and happy and beautiful and loved. I want to spend my whole life with you. I want to sleep in your arms and have your children and grow old with you. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, and every day of my life is better and brighter because you are a part of it. I love you, Troy."

The tears could no longer be contained, and when a choked sob bubbled up from Gabriella's chest, Troy ignored wedding protocol again and pulled her into his embrace. He rubbed her warm skin and kissed her hair as she cried. She'd had some teary moments during their first wedding, but the flood of emotion that she was currently experiencing both pleased and baffled Troy. Gabriella began to calm in his arms, but he held her against his chest until she squeezed his arms to let him know that she was okay. They separated, and Gabriella pulled tissues out of her bag to wipe away the moisture on her face. Finally under control, she took Troy's hands and looked apologetically at the minister.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I don't know why I've been so emotional lately…"

"It's okay, sweetheart," Troy told her, swiping quickly at his own eyes.

The minister smiled reassuringly at them before continuing. "The wedding ring has long been a symbol of commitment and love. It is an unbroken, never-ending circle, a visible symbol of your lifelong promise to one another. Let your rings remind you of your desire for your relationship to last a lifetime. Troy, hold your wife's hand and touch her ring, the ring you put on her finger four years ago, symbolically giving it to her again, and say to her these words: 'With this ring as a symbol of my love, I recommit myself in marriage to you.'"

Troy's fingers laid lovingly over Gabriella's ring as his thumb caressed the palm of her hand. "With this ring as a symbol of my love, I recommit myself in marriage to you."

Again the minister turned to Gabriella. "Gabriella, hold your husband's hand and touch his ring, the ring you put on his finger four years ago, symbolically giving it to him again, and say to him these words: 'With this ring as a symbol of my love, I recommit myself in marriage to you.'"

Gabriella's slender fingers brushed across Troy's ring, and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she remembered her conversation with Kelly about the sexiness of men's wedding rings. "With this ring as a symbol of my love, I recommit myself in marriage to you."

The minister raised a hand of blessing between them. "Troy and Gabriella, having witnessed your vows of affirmation and your agreement to continue living together in the bond of holy matrimony, I now declare you again to be husband and wife. Troy, you may kiss your bride."

Without hesitation, Troy swept his wife up in his arms, kissing her hard. When their mouths separated, he whispered an "I love you" against her skin and wiped a lone tear from her cheek. "No matter what happens, baby," he said softly, "this—us—it's for life. If you've ever doubted that, I hope you understand it now."

"I do, Troy," she murmured. "I will never forget this day for the rest of my life."

"Neither will I," he answered, smiling tenderly. "_E hoomau maua kealoha_. May our love last forever."

She bit her bottom lip, overwhelmed by the sweetness and perfection of the man before her. She wondered how long it had taken him to memorize the beautiful Hawaiian phrase. "So, now that we are newlyweds again, what comes next?"

He grinned. "Ah, the evening is young, my bride."

...~«ώ»~...

After posing for some photographs in the garden, Troy spirited Gabriella into a waiting town car. Snuggled together in the back seat, Troy took the opportunity to fully appreciate the beauty of his wife's dress.

"Did I mention how spectacular you look in that dress?" he asked as his hand slid over the gauzy fabric.

"I don't believe you did," she demurred. Realizing that they would not be immediately retiring to their room, Gabriella couldn't resist the urge to tease her husband. Her inner siren sprang to life, and she crossed her legs, deliberately letting the hem slide up her thigh a few inches. "Did I mention how easy it is to take off?"

Troy gulped audibly, and his jaw clenched. "No," he choked out. "You didn't."

She moved closer to him. "I was getting dressed earlier, slipping this dress over my head and feeling it slithering over me, and do you know what I was thinking about?"

Troy shook his head, unable to speak.

"I was thinking about how soon you would be taking it off of me," she whispered against the shell of his ear. "Sliding down the zipper, pulling it off me, your hands on my skin." Her hand slid up his thigh, and she smiled at his sharp intake of breath. "Wherever you're taking me right now, Troy, I want you to be thinking about undressing me every time you look at me."

Troy was utterly speechless. What had come over his shy, reserved wife? Not that he was complaining. The only thing he regretted at that moment was that he'd chartered a private two-hour sunset cruise. It would be the longest two hours of his life.

...~«ώ»~...

Despite Troy's distress, though, he found himself thoroughly enjoying the cruise. Gabriella had gotten so caught up in the romance of sailing into the sunset that she'd forgone teasing him, at least for the time being. They were aboard a 49 ft. yacht with majestic sails and a two-man crew. The sailors were friendly and respectful, manning the tiller in the stern while Troy and Gabriella lounged comfortably on the bow. They'd eaten a picnic-type dinner that had been simple but tasty, and when the wind picked up, Troy gathered up the leftovers and wrappers. He pushed to his feet and made his way to the hatch, where he ducked inside to properly dispose of the trash. On the way out, he stopped to chat with the men, marveling at their impressive knowledge of sailing.

When he worked his way back up to the bow, he saw that Gabriella was standing in the forward pulpit at the very tip of the bow. She was barefoot, and the wind tugged at the loose tendrils of hair that framed her face. Her beautiful white dress swirled around her legs, giving him a tantalizing view of the gentle curves of her body. Troy stood behind her, mesmerized as he watched her. She shook her head to brush the hair off her face, and more dark curls escaped the confines of her twisted hairdo. Troy thought she looked like a mythical sea creature, a mermaid, perhaps, or a nymph.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said to announce his presence. She turned and smiled at him, and it struck him how deeply content she looked. After a moment she turned back to the ocean, and Troy slid his arm around her waist and pressed her against the railing with his body. Caged by his arms and body, she dropped her head back into the hollow of his shoulder and sighed happily.

"Thank you so much for this, Troy," she gushed. "It's incredible. I can't think of a better way to spend our anniversary."

"Neither can I," he murmured. "As long as I'm with you, that's all that matters. I love you, baby."

She turned in his arms. "I love you too." Her eyes widened as she remembered something. "I have something to give you. Just remember that your _real _gift is at home."

Pushing past him, she went to retrieve her purse and pulled out the wrapped package. She hesitated for a moment, worrying that he wouldn't like it, before resolutely handing him the gift. Excitedly he tore away the wrapping and opened a small box to reveal a long chain. The thick, masculine charm that hung on it was engraved, and he held it in his palm to read it. _Kanunu,_ it said. He turned it over and read the other side: _Ku'u lei._

"What does it mean?" he asked. He recognized that the words were Hawaiian, but didn't understand their significance.

"_Kanunu_ means 'the strong one,'" she explained softly. "You have always been the strong one in our marriage, protecting me and taking care of me. I love that about you." She paused, looking out over the waves, and then looked back at him. "_Ku'u lei_ means 'my beloved.'" She shrugged self-consciously. "It's sort of a good luck charm, I guess, but if you don't want to wear it, I understand…"

"I love it," he insisted, "and I love that its meaning is a special secret between us." He lifted it onto his neck and fastened it. The chain was long, and the charm hung down between his pecs. Making sure she was watching, Troy lifted the charm to his lips and kissed it, and then dropped it below the open collar of his shirt. "I'll keep it close to my heart, as a special reminder of you and our marriage."

She bit her bottom lip as she looked up at him, pleased that he'd understood her intent. He pulled a small package from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Troy," she protested. "You didn't have to get me anything! Everything you've planned, the vow renewal, this yacht…"

He silenced her with a finger on her lips, and nudged the package into her hands. She pulled off the paper and ribbon and found a box, similar in size to the one Troy had just opened. Gabriella opened it and gasped. Inside was a delicate gold charm bracelet with three small charms attached. She brushed her finger across each one, wondering at the words engraved on them. Troy took it from her open hand and fastened it on her wrist. He picked up the first charm and turned it over.

"_Hiwahiwa _means 'precious or beloved,'" he told her before moving on to the second charm. "_Aloha nui loa _means 'all my love.'" He shifted the bracelet to reveal the third charm. "_Mau Loa_ means 'forever.' I couldn't decide on one, so I got all three."

When Troy's gaze lifted from the bracelet to his wife's face, he found her eyes swimming with tears. Without another word, he pulled her into his arms. She snuggled against his chest.

"Isn't it funny how similar our gifts for one another are?" she mused.

"Not really," he shrugged. "This has been a special trip for us, so now we both have reminders of our time here and how we feel about each other right now." He nuzzled her neck and brought his lips against her ear. "And right now, I'm thinking about exactly what you told me to think about."

"What's that?" she feigned ignorance.

"Taking this dress off of you," he replied.

She looked up at his tense face and laughed. "All in good time, my dear. Good things come to those who wait."

"Oh, good things will be _coming_, all right," he replied with deliberate emphasis. She shivered, causing him to chuckle, and before things could go any farther, he turned her again to face the sunset. He draped his sport coat over her shoulders and then slid his arms around her, lacing their fingers together. She turned her head to look at him, and he kissed her temple. "That's a promise, sweetheart."

...~«ώ»~...

When they returned to their hotel suite, Troy had another surprise waiting, thanks to the hotel manager. The whirlpool tub in the bathroom was filled with scented bubbles and sprinkled with red rose petals. Candles flickered around the perimeter of the bath, and a bottle of sparkling cider sat chilling in a bucket of ice.

"Troy…" Gabriella gasped in amazement. Troy's hands ghosted down her bare arms, and he turned her slightly to the right so she could see their reflection in the mirror. He stood behind her, and she watched, wide-eyed, as his lips descended on her neck and his hands trailed up her sides to cup her breasts.

"This dress," he mumbled against her skin, "has been driving me crazy all evening. Your breasts, just begging me to touch them…"

A low moan gurgled up her throat as he yanked at the ribbon under her bust, loosening the top of the dress. Wasting no time, he dipped his fingers underneath the material, kneading and plucking her breasts as she struggled to stay on her feet. She tried to turn, to pull him into closer contact with her, but he shook his head.

"You've been teasing me, sweetheart," he said sternly, catching her gaze in the mirror. "You've been talking about how easy this dress is to take off, so you're going to watch me do it."

Keeping one hand on her breasts, Troy moved her hair and dipped his mouth again to suck her neck. She got so lost in the sensation that Troy's hand on her back took her by surprise.

"Open your eyes, baby," he murmured. She did, and soon felt the tug of her zipper, moving downward at an agonizingly slow pace. Troy's head disappeared from behind as she watched in the mirror, and she felt his lips as they trailed a blazing line of fire down her back, following the zipper's path. When he reached the end of it, he straightened again, catching her gaze in the glass. Slowly, deliberately, he pushed her straps down her arm, first one, and then the other. The dress pooled at her feet as he groaned.

"No bra, Gabriella?" he scolded. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"It's built into the dress," she managed to explain. Her thoughts scattered as she saw Troy's hands close over her bare breasts and his mouth resettled on her neck.

"Do you like watching me touch you?" he asked.

"Y-yes," she stammered.

One hand slid down to the tiny waistband of her panties, and he made a sound of mock-disapproval.

"If I'd known you were wearing such dirty little panties, we'd have been back in this room hours ago," he growled. "I thought I was marrying a sweet, innocent girl, not a woman who wears panties like this under such a pretty white dress."

She curled her lip saucily and winked at him in the mirror. "I hope my dress didn't fly up in the wind so the sailors could see my panties," she pretended to worry. She shuffled backwards, purposely rubbing her backside against the impressive erection that strained against his zipper. "Of course, even if they saw it, they'd have no way of knowing how wet I am."

As if to confirm her statement, Troy's hand dipped inside her panties and touched her intimately. He growled in her ear. "Who have you been thinking about to make you so wet?" he demanded.

"Oh, a man that I married today," she teased. "I can't tell you any more than that—I'm just a sweet, innocent girl, after all." Feigning indifference, she avoided his eyes in the mirror and reached up to pull a pearl-tipped pin from her hair. He watched, his hands stilling, as curls fell with each pin she loosened. Finally, she spoke his name, and he met her eyes in the mirror.

"Take your clothes off," she ordered.

"What?" he asked with surprise.

"You heard me," she went on. "Maybe I'm not so sweet and innocent after all. You've been calling the shots all day, and I think it's time that I take control. Take off your clothes."

He did so while Gabriella slipped into the bathtub and languidly rubbed her hands over her wet body. He moved forward and dipped one foot into the water, preparing to slide in with her, but she stopped him.

"Did I say you could get in the tub?" she asked sharply.

"No," he said meekly, getting more and more turned on by this sexy, sassy side of Gabriella.

"Sit down on the side of the tub," she demanded, and he pulled a towel over to sit on. Water covered his legs up to the top of his knees, and Gabriella pushed them open as she slid in between them. She sat on her knees in the water and slid closer to his waist. He reached for her, but she batted his hands away. "No touching!" she scolded. "And keep your eyes open, just like you told me to."

He started to answer, to say something teasing, but the words fell right out of his brain when her hand closed around his penis. Air hissed out from between his teeth, and he rested back on his hands, watching her work him.

After a few minutes, she suddenly loosened her grip and dipped down in the water up to her neck. Before he could ask what she was doing, she slid back up to her previous position, her breasts now covered with silky bubbles. She pushed his legs farther apart and moved closer, grabbing his shaft again and rubbing the head against her slick nipples.

"Oh…" he moaned, tipping his head back. She inched closer and captured his erection in the valley between her breasts, pressing them together and sliding up and down. Troy thought vaguely that there was a pretty good chance he would die from the pleasure she was giving him, although he couldn't think of a better way to go. His death became imminent when she stopped her movement and captured the head of his penis between her lips. Her breasts still encased his shaft, and he knew that if he didn't stop her, he would be in serious trouble.

"Baby…" he grunted. She looked up at him, her lips still circling his tip, and he squeezed his eyes shut in agony. He wanted to come so badly it hurt, but he didn't want it like this. He stood on shaky legs and lowered himself into the tub, pulling her against his side to buy himself some time.

She seemed to understand, and sweet, innocent Gabriella was back, tipping her head up to kiss him. Their kisses started soft, and grew increasingly deeper and harder, their tongues plunging into each other's mouths as pants and moans rumbled in their throats.

Finally, Troy could take it no longer, and he grabbed her hips, pulled her onto his lap, and plunged inside her. Her lips formed an 'o' of surprise, and she tried to shift, but he held her tight against him, his penis completely swallowed up by her body.

"Are you a dirty girl who likes to ride men's cocks?" he asked, slipping back into their game. He half-expected her response to be shy and apologetic, so he was flabbergasted by her reply.

"I like feeling your cock all the way inside me," she whispered. "Making me wet and horny and desperate to come. You knew I was wearing those panties, and you knew that I would let you take them off of me."

Impossibly, his penis grew even harder inside her, stretching her. "You knew I wanted to take them off," he murmured, pulling her closer so her wet breasts flattened against his chest. "You seduced me. You're obviously more experienced than I thought you were."

"You're right," she hissed in his ear, turned on beyond belief by their sexy talk. "I wasn't a virgin when you married me today. I know how to please my man." His hands grasped her backside, and with a whimper, she ended their charade. "And if my man doesn't start moving right now, I'm going to go find one who will!"

In response, Troy lifted her up, so that only the tip of him remained at her opening, and then slammed her back down on his lap, causing the water to splash over the side of the tub. She cried out at the ecstasy of it, her climax building closer and closer as he continued his rough thrusts. Troy watched her face, knowing she was close, and suddenly halted his movement, resting again with his penis buried inside her. Her eyes flew open, looking almost murderous that he would cut her off like that. Instead, he settled his hands on her waist and leaned back a bit.

"Ride me, baby," he instructed softly. Her eyes widened, but her hands quickly settled on his shoulders as she raised and lowered herself on his shaft. She was desperate for release, and she plunged down hard and stayed there, keeping their hips together as she scooted back and forth and circled on his penis, letting it stroke her inner walls as she nearly sobbed with need.

The angle wasn't quite right… and then Troy shifted, and white light exploded in Gabriella's vision as his penis rasped against her G-spot. She screamed his name, unable to discern between pain and pleasure in the storm of sensations that drowned her. Choked sobs burst from her chest as she clung to him, wondering if the waves of pleasure would ever stop. Her legs shook, and she was grateful that Troy's powerful thighs were holding her up.

When she finally began to calm, she noticed that Troy was shaking, still hard inside her. She opened her eyes to see him, realizing that he was holding back for her. Their gazes met, and she nodded silently. That was all he needed, and he quickly lifted her off his lap and flipped her so that she stood in the water, her hands braced on the tiled wall. His knee dipped between her thighs to spread them, and then, tucking himself behind her, he reentered her with one sleek stroke. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist to hold their bodies together, and he grunted with each thrust.

"Gab-ri-el-la," he chanted in rhythm with his movements. She felt the chain she'd given him slapping against her bare back. Understanding the torture of his need, she reached back, sliding her hand between their joined bodies, and cupped his sac. He cried out, a long, guttural groan as wave after wave of semen spurted inside her. He held her there, pushed against the wall, until his tense muscles began to loosen and he sagged against her. She wasn't sure how long they stood there, joined, before he sighed and slowly withdrew. Before she could speak, he lifted her, stepped carefully out of the tub, and carried her to the massive bed, which was also covered with rose petals. Reaching down, he pulled back the covers and lowered her onto the satin sheets before climbing in beside her and gathering her in his arms.

"_E hoomau maua kealoha_," he murmured into her hair.

"It will, Troy," she agreed. "Our love _will _last forever."


	22. Facing Reality

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 22—Facing Reality**

Troy stared out the small window into the inky darkness. They were somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, and thanks to a flight delay, it was the middle of the night. San Francisco's time zone was three hours ahead of Hawaii's, so Troy had booked a flight that departed Kahului shortly after 8:00 pm and arrived back in San Francisco around 10:00 pm. Unfortunately, a storm front over the ocean had delayed their departure, and Troy clenched his fists nervously as the captain announced that they would be flying through the outer edges of a storm as they neared the California coast. Reminding himself to relax, he looked down at Gabriella. She was lying across the seats with her head in his lap, her hair fanned across his leg. She was sleeping peacefully for the moment, and Troy hoped that she was tired enough to sleep through the turbulence.

Watching her, Troy flattened his hand on her forehead and frowned. She'd awakened that morning with a slight fever, and Troy had added that symptom to the mental list he'd been compiling during their trip. He knew something was wrong, but had chosen, at least for the duration of their trip, to allow her to explain away her symptoms. He had a few ideas about what could be causing the problems she'd been experiencing, but, determined that they both have a worry-free vacation, he hadn't allowed himself much time to think about it. Now, however, there was nothing to distract him, and his mind sorted through his cache of medical knowledge. He pulled out his phone and typed a reminder to call Dr. Grant's office to schedule an appointment, and was just sliding it back into his pocket when the first streak of lightning lit the sky.

The seatbelt light blinked on, and Troy shifted slightly to fasten his belt. His movement stirred Gabriella enough that he was able to ease her upright, clip her belt, and lean her into his side. He slid his arm around her and pulled her head into the hollow below his shoulder. She stirred again, and then nestled into him with a sleepy sigh. He smiled. She looked adorable when she slept, even in a less-than-ideal environment like this. A thick black curl dropped across her face, and Troy lifted it carefully and tucked it behind her ear. The flashes of light outside were coming more frequently, in sharp contrast with the darkened cabin. The plane bounced a few times, and Troy noticed that passengers around them were waking because of the movement and light. Still, Gabriella slept on.

A squall of rain spattered against the windows, and a big bump of turbulence finally jolted Gabriella awake. She looked around, dazed, and Troy pulled her hand into his lap, lacing their fingers together. When her gaze landed on Troy, her eyes were wide with alarm.

"A storm?" she asked softly.

"Yeah," he nodded, squeezing her hand. "We'll be fine, though. We're almost home."

The noise of the rain outside grew louder, and at some point it turned to hail, pummeling the aircraft as it bounced and shuddered through the air. It took only minutes for Gabriella to get sick, and Troy held back her hair as she hunched over the airsick bag. When she was finished, she leaned back into Troy's side.

"Have I mentioned that I'm not a huge fan of flying?" she groused.

He smiled. "Once or twice."

"This is like my flight to Albuquerque for the reunion," she mumbled, flinching as they hit another rough patch.

"No, it's not," Troy argued gently, squeezing her hand. "You don't have to face it alone. I'm here to take care of you."

A blinding flash of lightning burst outside, followed almost immediately by a loud thunderclap. She burrowed into his side, and he tightened his arm around her.

"Troy, I'm scared," she whispered against him.

"I know, baby," he murmured, pressing a kiss into her hair. "But we're together, and it's going to be okay."

The next 45 minutes were pure torture for Gabriella as the plane swayed and shook, and she got sick again and again. She could hear other passengers around her getting sick as well, but that didn't make her feel any better. Her throat burned with stomach acid, and her head pounded. Troy did all he could to soothe her, rubbing her back, holding her hand, and wiping away her tears. When the pilot finally announced that they were on final approach to land, Gabriella nearly wept with relief. As they touched down and taxied toward the gate, Gabriella decided that she wasn't going to fly again for a long, long time.

...~«ώ»~...

It was nearly 2:00 am by the time they made it back to their house. Gabriella was still feeing nauseous, and after a quick trip to the bathroom, she collapsed into bed, still fully clothed. Troy retrieved a basin from under the bathroom sink and left it by Gabriella's side, hoping that she wouldn't need it. She normally recovered from her airsickness fairly quickly after the flight was over, but this had been far from a "normal" flight. The longer and more stressful the flight, the longer it took for her to feel better. After her flight had made an emergency landing on the way to Albuquerque the previous month, Gabriella had been sick for nearly 24 hours after she was on the ground, according to Lucille Bolton. Troy pulled off his wife's shoes and tucked the covers around her before circling the bed, kicking off his shoes, and crawling in beside her.

...~«ώ»~...

When Gabriella awoke Saturday morning, it was well past 9:00, and Troy's side of the bed was vacant. The smell of bacon and toast wafted from the kitchen, and Gabriella's stomach suddenly remembered its aggravation from the night before. She sat up in bed uncertainly, battling the rising nausea, and then threw off the covers and dashed into the bathroom as her mutinous stomach reversed itself. After she finished, she rose quickly, washed her face and brushed her teeth, and had just settled back into bed when Troy pushed open the bedroom door with a breakfast tray in his hands.

"Oh good, you're awake," he greeted cheerfully. "How do you feel?"

"Better," she answered, pasting on a smile. "You made breakfast for me? How sweet!"

"Anything for my beautiful bride," Troy grinned, stooping to kiss her before laying the tray across her lap. "I guess you won't be needing this anymore." He took the empty basin from her bedside table and carried it back to the bathroom.

Gabriella stared down at the tray, mentally giving her unsettled stomach a pep talk. She picked up a piece of buttered toast and took a tentative bite. It tasted good, and went down just fine.

"I need to go pick up my tux for the reception tonight," Troy told her when he returned. "Do you need anything while I'm out?"

She thought for a minute, and then shook her head. "Just hurry back. I've been spoiled for the past week, having you with me all the time. I'll miss you."

He smiled sentimentally. "Aw, I'll miss you too, sweetheart. I won't be gone long, I promise." He leaned down to kiss her once more, and then strode out of the room. Gabriella waited until she heard the front door close and Troy's car start in the driveway before she got up and padded to the kitchen. There, she lifted the toast from her plate and dumped the rest of the food in the garbage. She took her toast and a bottle of water outside and sat on the back step, needing to escape the smells that threatened to reverse her stomach again. Tears pricked the backs of her eyes as she sat there, deep in thought.

Now that they were back from their amazing vacation, Gabriella knew that it was time to share her fears with Troy. The fibroids were back. She knew it. She'd tried her best to explain away the symptoms, to downplay their significance, but she knew how she felt, and she knew that she'd felt it before. The tinge of pain she'd felt the last time she and Troy had made love had sealed the diagnosis in her mind. Everything—the pain, nausea, fatigue, headaches—was consistent with the symptoms she'd experienced in the months before her tumors were discovered. Far worse than the certainty Gabriella felt about her problem was the knowledge that the growth of new tumors, especially in less than two months, most likely sealed the fate of her uterus. This time, she was sure, it would have to come out.

As upsetting as that reality was for Gabriella, she realized that she was more emotionally prepared to accept it now. During their trip to Hawaii, Troy had made sure that she knew, every minute of every day, that he loved her and wanted to be with her. Throughout the ordeal of her surgeries, Gabriella had often wondered whether Troy would have married her if he'd known she may not be able to bear his children. Now, she knew the answer. He'd renewed his vows to her, promised her his life, knowing full well that their life together may not include biological children. He loved her, and he'd _chosen _her, again, with all the cards on the table. Finally, deep in her heart, Gabriella knew that they would be okay.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy and Gabriella were scheduled to meet Mark and Kelly and their families at the San Francisco Design Center's Galleria at 1:00 to help set up. After that, they would get dressed and pose for photos with the wedding party before the formal reception began at 5:00. Kelly was giddy with excitement, and squealed with delight when Troy and Gabriella walked into the room.

"Gabi, oh my gosh, how _are _you?" Kelly asked, pulling her friend into a hug.

"I'm good," Gabriella laughed. "How are _you,_ Mrs. Davis? How was your honeymoon?"

"Magical, wonderful, perfect," Kelly enthused. "What about yours?"

"Magical, wonderful, perfect," Gabriella echoed, smiling back at Troy when his hands settled on her shoulders. "We renewed our vows."

"That's so sweet," Kelly exclaimed. "I hope Mark takes a page or two from the 'Troy Bolton Manual on How to Romance a Woman.'"

Troy chuckled. "He must've managed all right on his own, or he wouldn't have landed you."

Kelly grinned at both of them. "Gabi, it's a good thing I've got such an amazing man of my own, or I might be fighting you for this guy."

"Sorry, Kel," Troy replied easily. "My heart is very much taken."

"Yo, Bolton," Mark called from across the room. "How about a hand over here?"

Troy patted Gabriella's arm. "Duty calls. Kelly, don't work my wife too hard. She's still feeling under the weather from our flight last night." His attention returned to Gabriella, and he kissed her cheek. "See you later, gorgeous."

She watched him walk away, and when her gaze returned to her friend, Kelly's expression was sympathetic. "Mark said you guys had a rough flight."

"Yeah," Gabriella nodded. "The lightning was terrible. And the turbulence…" She shuddered, remembering the tense and miserable time in the air.

"Sorry, sweetie," Kelly said. "But other than that, how was your trip?" She leaned closer. "Any baby-making activities in paradise?"

Gabriella blushed, remembering the passion she and Troy had shared.

"Ooh, I think I have my answer," Kelly laughed.

"Okay, okay, enough about me," Gabriella insisted. "Tell me what you and Mark did on your honeymoon. _Besides _the obvious."

"Well, we went scuba diving—it was _so_ cool!" Kelly enthused. "And Mark tried to teach me how to skim-board… _that _didn't end well. Oh, and we went on a tour and saw the most amazing waterfall…"

Gabriella's blush deepened, and Kelly laughed again.

"Gabi, it looks like you and I have a _lot _to talk about!" she exclaimed, glancing around the room as more people walked in. "But for now, we'd better get to work."

...~«ώ»~...

After the prep work was done, the wedding party got dressed in private rooms at the venue. Kelly twirled giddily in her wedding dress, causing the hairdresser to scold her in a foreign language that no one understood. Kelly's mom fussed over her, smoothing imaginary wrinkles from her dress, and then moved on to her niece, the flower girl. When the women emerged, dressed, pressed, and polished, the men were posing for photographs in the Galleria, handsome in their black tuxedos. Troy caught Gabriella's eye and winked at her, and she smiled back at him appreciatively.

The venue was spectacular, with a four-story atrium, large indoor balconies that circled the room, and a majestic multi-level stage where a band would perform for the reception. There were giant screens flanking the stage, where photos of Mark and Kelly's wedding in Hawaii would be displayed, and a retractable skylight that could be opened. There were hundreds of photo opportunities to take advantage of in such a beautiful space, and hours later, Gabriella was convinced that the photographer had explored each and every one of them. They'd traipsed all over the facility, posing on balconies, staircases, landings, stages, and patios. When the photographer paused to change his memory card, Gabriella rubbed her temples, willing away the headache that pounded there.

"Hey, are you okay?" Troy asked softly from behind her. His hands rested on her waist, and he turned her slightly toward him, earning a frown from the overzealous photographer.

"My head hurts, but I'm all right," she told him. "Either my hairdo is too tight, or I've been smiling about two hours too long."

"I'd have to go with the second one," he murmured. "My cheeks may be permanently frozen this way."

She giggled, turning to sneak a quick look at him. The photographer cleared his throat in agitation, and Gabriella waited until he snapped off several more shots before she whispered back, "I'd love to see you giving a patient bad news with that grin plastered on your face."

His laugh tickled the back of her neck. "That wouldn't go over so well. I'd have to find a specialty where I only ever give people _good _news."

"I don't think such a specialty exists," Gabriella countered. "Of course, whenever you have bad news to deliver, you could always send a nurse to do it."

"Hey, I heard that," Kelly hissed next to them, never breaking her smile. The photographer paused to reposition, and Kelly glanced toward her friends. "I think I'd give up half my salary to have my work shoes on right now. How did I pick such uncomfortable shoes for this reception?"

"We're not exactly living it up in these monkey suits, babe," Mark interjected. "What I wouldn't give for some board shorts and a t-shirt right about now."

As the newlyweds bantered back and forth, Gabriella leaned back into Troy's chest. He massaged her neck and shoulders gently, trying to relieve the tension he felt there. Finally, mercifully, the photographer declared that he was finished with the wedding party, except for the bride and groom. Troy jabbed Mark in the side as he made his escape, mocking him, and dodged when Mark swatted at him. A few steps away, Gabriella's vision blurred, and she gripped the balcony railing to steady herself.

"Gabi?" Kelly released Mark's arm, alarmed as she noticed her friend's distress.

Troy and Mark both rushed forward as Gabriella swayed. Troy caught her just as her knees buckled, and he carried her over to a padded bench nearby.

"Somebody get her some water," Mark barked as Troy lowered his wife to the bench and sat beside her, keeping a firm hold on her. Mark knelt in front of her and lifted her wrist to feel her pulse. Troy pulled the zipper of her dress down a few inches, giving her more room to breathe. Kelly hovered nearby, and the rest of the wedding party stood back awkwardly.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Troy asked anxiously. "Are you nauseous?" She shook her head. "Dizzy?" She nodded. His hand swept across her flushed cheeks. "Fever's back," he muttered to himself.

Kelly's brother approached with a bottle of water, and Troy lifted Gabriella's chin to encourage her to drink it. She took several swallows before she seemed to refocus on the people around her. Her face reddened when she saw everyone watching her, and she tried to wriggle out of Troy's hold.

"Whoa, whoa, you're not going anywhere," Troy stopped her.

"Troy, everyone's staring at me," she whispered. "Please, let me up. It's Mark and Kelly's day. I can't ruin it for them."

Kelly was close enough to hear her friend's quiet words, and she took action, directing the attendants and family members back to the main floor to greet early-arriving guests. When she returned, she sat on Gabriella's other side and patted her friend's leg.

"Gabi, don't you worry about us," Kelly insisted. "You had a rough flight last night, and you've been on your feet for hours. What did you eat for lunch?"

"Just some yogurt," Gabriella shrugged. "I wasn't really hungry. Troy made a big breakfast for me." She hoped Troy hadn't noticed how _little _of the big breakfast she'd actually eaten.

"Well, we're just going to have to do something about that," Kelly said decisively. "I can't have my matron of honor falling down on the job."

Gabriella smiled, and Troy was relieved to see that the color was returning to her cheeks.

"Troy, take her down to the kitchen and ask the catering staff to fix her a plate," Kelly instructed.

"Okay, but if she still feels sick after that, I might have to take her home," Troy answered.

Gabriella's eyes widened. "Troy, I'm not sick," she insisted. "We can't miss the reception. I just need to rest for a minute, and then I'll be fine. Please."

Her eyes pleaded with him to understand, while an unspoken conversation passed between them. _We both know there's something wrong. Please, just let it go for now. I'm worried about you. I know, but let's just get through tonight and then we'll deal with it._

Finally, Troy nodded. "Okay, we'll see you guys downstairs." He glanced at the impatient photographer and then grinned impishly at Mark. "_Maybe_."

Mark looked at his wife pleadingly. "Kelly, _please, _can we tell this guy that enough's enough? Seriously, we're going to have to buy a bigger house just to store all these pictures."

Kelly took a few steps toward the railing and looked down, seeing their guests beginning to arrive. "Yeah, I guess that would be a good idea."

"Okay, good," Mark answered, grinning as he turned toward the elevator. "Let me know how he takes it."

"Mark Gerald Davis, get back here this instant." Kelly's voice was frigid, although a barely-perceptible smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Troy was almost sure he saw Mark flinch.

"Ooh, she used the 'G' word," Troy taunted. He fought back a snicker as Kelly faced down her husband, hands on hips, looking more like a warrior princess than a princess bride.

"I'll take care of it," Mark said meekly, mumbling as he walked by, something about the photographer being 'the lesser of the two evils.' He took a wide path around his formidable wife, and after he passed, Kelly turned to smile and wink at Troy and Gabriella before following him.

Troy helped Gabriella to her feet and walked her slowly toward the elevator, and they both laughed as they heard Mark arguing with the photographer, barely getting a word in edgewise. By the time they reached the ground floor and looked up at the newlyweds, they were posing, defeated, as camera flashes went off with a vengeance.

...~«ώ»~...

When Mark and Kelly finally managed to escape the clutches of the maniacal photographer, the reception went smoothly. The food was delicious, and the guests were delighted with the slide show of photos from the wedding in Hawaii. After the toasts, the band played dance music, and guests crowded the dance floor. Troy and Gabriella danced alongside their friends, and Troy could tell that Gabriella was feeling better. She smiled and laughed and chatted animatedly with their friends and co-workers from the hospital. Several times, Gabriella looked up and caught Troy staring at her, appreciating her curves in her cream-colored bridesmaid gown. She winked cheekily at him, and even teased him once by sliding the hem of her dress up a few inches to reveal her tanned legs. As the sky darkened and the stars twinkled through the skylight, Gabriella's energy began to wane, and Troy, ever watchful, took her hand and guided her over to say good night to their hosts.

...~«ώ»~...

When they got home, the couple wearily changed into more comfortable clothes, and then Troy led Gabriella to the sofa and sat next to her.

"Gabriella," he began, "we need to talk about your health. I didn't say anything about your symptoms in Hawaii, but we can't ignore them any longer."

Gabriella sighed. "I know. I've avoided thinking about it, but we need to face reality." She swallowed hard, glanced down at her hands, and then looked resolutely at her husband. "I think there are more fibroids in my uterus."

He nodded, his mouth a thin line. "I thought of that. What makes you think that's what it is?"

"It feels the same," she told him. "Remember back in December, when I was so tired and sick? Dr. Grant said that's when the tumors started growing." She looked down. "That's what's happening, isn't it?"

He covered her hands with his. "I don't want to jump to conclusions just yet. But if it is, it won't change anything between us. You know that, right?"

She looked into his eyes and smiled, touching his face with her fingertips. "I _do _know. And I love you even more because of it."

Touched, he slid an arm around her and pulled her close, kissing her temple. Then he took a long breath. "Sweetheart, when's the last time you took a pregnancy test?"

She pulled back to frown at him. "A few days before we left for Hawaii. But Troy, I told you, I had my period…" She paused, mentally calculating. "…like ten days ago."

He traced a finger down her arm and stared meaningfully at her. "Maybe we conceived a baby while we were in Hawaii," he said softly.

She smiled. "I love that thought. Even if we did, though, you know it'd be too early to register a positive test result."

He shrugged. "I know. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but it's hard for me to think about you having to go through another surgery so soon." His eyes dropped, and she saw a rare vulnerability in his expression. It melted her heart.

"It'll be okay, Troy," she said softly, slipping her hand into his and lacing their fingers. "_I'll _be okay. It's taken me a long time to believe that, but I do now." She touched his cheek, turning him to face her. "I'll take a test if you want, but only if you're ready to face the implications if it turns out to be negative."

He thought for a minute, contemplating the options. Finally, he met her eyes resolutely. "Wishful thinking is nice for awhile, but we need to know what we're up against, so we can face it together."

Gabriella nodded and pushed to her feet, stooping to kiss him before she made her way to the bathroom.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella's bravado began to fade as she and Troy sat side by side on the bed, and when the timer went off in the bathroom, she tensed. Her reaction surprised her. She knew what the result would be, but she suddenly felt unprepared to face the confirmation that the fibroids were back.

"Troy, I can't look," she told him fearfully. "I'm not ready."

"Whatever happens, Gabriella, we'll get through it together," he reminded her. He leaned to kiss her gently before pushing himself off the bed and trudging into the bathroom. To Gabriella it seemed like he was in there forever, but it couldn't have been more than half a minute. He came out, his face unreadable, and she felt her shoulders sag as she blinked back the inevitable tears. He crossed the room and she stood into his arms, surprised at how tightly he held her.

"I'm sorry, Troy," she sighed against his chest.

"We're going to have a baby," he murmured into her hair.

"I know. We'll deal with the fibroids and then start trying again…" she answered, but he suddenly gripped her arms and took a step back to meet her eyes.

"Gabriella." His voice was soft, but his eyes held an intensity that dawned on her belatedly. "Forget the fibroids. The test is positive. Sweetheart, you're pregnant. _We're going to have a baby!_"

Her hands flew to her mouth to cover her gasp, and her eyes widened impossibly as Troy's entire face was consumed by an ecstatic grin. He bent and swept her up into his arms, spinning her around the room jubilantly. She laughed euphorically, gripping his shoulders to keep herself steady.

Finally, he lowered her to sit on the bed, parting her legs to stand between them. He cupped her face tenderly and bent to kiss away the joyful tears that streamed down her cheeks.

"Say it again," she whispered.

"Gabriella, you are pregnant," he told her seriously. "There's a baby growing inside you, a baby that we created together. We did it, sweetheart. We're having a baby!"

"Are you sure?" she asked, fearful that she'd somehow misunderstood.

He laughed. "Do I need to present my medical degree as proof that I can read a plus sign on a pregnancy test?"

"No," she answered sheepishly. "But what about… I mean, I had a period. How can I be pregnant?"

"Sometimes women bleed when the fertilized egg implants itself in the lining of the uterus," he told her. "It's called 'implantation bleeding.'"

Her mind raced, trying to understand. "So that means… in Hawaii…"

"You were already pregnant," he finished for her. He laughed. "I married a knocked-up bride!"

"Hey, you're the one who knocked me up," she replied good-naturedly. "I guess I should've listened to Kelly, when she was so insistent about timing and…" Her eyes widened as she remembered the reception in Hawaii. "Oh no, Troy, I drank some champagne! If I'd known, I never would've…" She looked up at him, panicked. "What if…"

He stopped her with a finger on her lips. "A few sips of champagne won't hurt the baby," he assured her with a tender smile.

Gabriella had imagined this moment a thousand times, but the tidal wave of emotions that washed over her was far greater than anything she'd ever dreamed. Troy's lips covered hers again, kissing her deeply. When she raised her hands to his cheeks, she felt tears there. Her heart melted, and she fell in love with him all over again.

"We're having a baby," she whispered, loving the way the words felt on her lips.

"We're having a baby," he confirmed softly, dusting kisses all over her face. "Gabriella, I love you _so_ much."

"I love _you, _Troy," she replied. "I can't believe it."

"Believe it, beautiful," he countered, settling beside her and pulling her close. "You're having my baby. _Our _baby." His hand settled on her tummy and he looked at her, his blue eyes filled with wonder.

It was, just as Gabriella had said, time to face reality. Their sweet dreams were finally coming true.

...~«ώ»~...

_A/N: People keep asking me, once Gabriella gets pregnant, if that means that the story is about to end. In a word-no! There is much more to come! Pregnancy, after all, is nine months long! And while you wait, how about writing a lovely review? ;-)_


	23. Dream Come True

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 23—Dream Come True**

The next morning, when Gabriella awoke, her first thought was that it had all been a dream. When she opened her eyes, Troy was beside her, watching her adoringly, and she experienced the joy of the news all over again.

"Hey, Mama," he murmured. "How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful," she answered softly. "Is it really true? It wasn't just a dream?"

"It's true, sweetheart." His thumb stroked her cheek tenderly. "We did it. We made a baby together."

"I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing that," she told him with a smile.

"Good, because I don't plan to stop saying it anytime soon," he answered, sliding his hand under her cami to stroke her stomach gently. "Our baby, Gabriella."

She covered his hand with hers. "Our baby, Troy."

"You're so incredible." His voice was husky. "I didn't think it was possible to fall more deeply in love with you, but since last night, I have. Watching you sleep and knowing…" He stopped to clear his throat, battling emotions, and Gabriella touched his face lovingly. "Knowing there's a baby growing inside you is… beyond comprehension. I have this feeling, like… I just want to stay here with you in my arms and keep you all to myself for the next nine months. I want to take care of you and make sure you're safe and comfortable and happy."

Gabriella skimmed her fingertips along the stubble on his jaw. "I _will _be happy, because I'm with the man I love, and I'm pregnant with his child." She smiled at her words, loving the sound of them. "I'm pregnant, Troy," she whispered as emotions swept over her and tears filled her eyes.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly, taking his time to enjoy the softness of her lips and the subtle movement of her mouth against his. When he pulled back to check for lingering tears, he looked into her eyes.

"I love you, baby," he murmured.

"I love you too," she answered. Staring happily at him, her eyes suddenly widened. "Troy, do you know what today is?"

He frowned, confused. "Sunday?"

She shook her head, pushing herself up to a sitting position. "No! I mean, yes, but it's… Troy, today is Father's Day! And you're going to be a father!"

He sat up beside her, grinning broadly. "Hey, it is, isn't it?"

Gabriella clapped her hands excitedly. "It's your first Father's Day! This is so exciting! I'm going to fix breakfast, and then maybe we can go to Golden Gate Park…" She stood from the bed as she was talking, but her words trailed off when a wave of nausea suddenly roiled inside her. "Oh…" she choked out before dashing to the bathroom. By the time she dropped to her knees in front of the toilet, Troy was beside her, gathering back her hair in his fist.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, and she covered her mouth with her hand, mentally begging her stomach to behave. She hated that their intimate exchange had been interrupted like this.

"Don't fight it," Troy instructed in her ear. "Let it happen. It's okay."

Her stomach obeyed his direction and reversed. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she heaved. Troy's arm tucked around her waist to hold her steady, and when she was finished, she sagged into his chest.

"Okay, new plan," he announced. "_I _will fix breakfast, and my beautiful wife, the mother of my child, is going back to bed."

She looked up at him regretfully. "But it's your special day…"

"It's my special day because of _you_," he told her. "I should get to do what I want on my first Father's Day, right? Well, what I want is for you to rest and feel better. Then maybe we can go out this afternoon."

Gabriella nodded reluctantly, and he stood to help her up and then walked her back to the bed. Once he settled her there, he set out the basin for her, just in case, and kissed her forehead.

"What sounds good for breakfast?" he asked solicitously.

She shuddered slightly as she remembered her illness the previous morning. "No bacon," she told him firmly. "Anything but bacon."

...~«ώ»~...

After breakfast, which Gabriella managed to keep down, Troy settled her on the couch while he cleaned the kitchen, waving off her protests. When he finished, he returned and claimed his spot beside her, and she snuggled into his side as he pulled her close.

"Feeling better?" he asked, relieved when she nodded. "Okay, now that we've properly nourished you and our little one, we need to figure out when and how we're going to tell our parents the good news."

Gabriella pulled back to look at him in alarm. "Tell them about the baby?" He nodded, puzzled by her reaction. "But we don't even know for sure… I mean, what if the test was wrong and it really is just more fibroids?" Her voice began to sound panicky, and he squeezed her arm.

"Hey, sweetheart, calm down," he told her. "First of all, fibroids don't cause false positives on pregnancy tests. And you took three tests last night, all of which were positive. Besides, if there were fibroids, at least _inside _your uterus, the embryo wouldn't have been able to attach. Just to make sure, though, I called Dr. Grant's office and set up an appointment for tomorrow afternoon."

She looked at him, confused. "When did you do that?"

"Yesterday, while I was out getting my tux," he told her. "It was pretty obvious that there was something happening to you, and I wanted to get it checked out as soon as possible. I also called Dr. Gould to tell her that I would be leaving work early to go to your appointment with you. She wasn't thrilled about it, since I'm just coming back from vacation, but I told her it was non-negotiable."

"Why?" Gabriella asked. "Were you expecting it to be bad news?"

"Honestly, I wasn't sure," he confessed. "But after the first appointment where we found out about the fibroids, I just wanted to be there for you, so you wouldn't have to face any news alone." He smiled. "Now we'll get to hear the _good_ news together." Troy lifted her chin with his thumb and finger. "Now, can you tell me why you're hesitant to tell anyone about the pregnancy?"

She tried to look away, but he held her chin steady. "I don't know," she hedged. "There have been so many… problems… that part of me is afraid to get everyone's hopes up. I couldn't stand to tell our parents we're pregnant, and then have to take it away from them. It would break their hearts."

"Okay," Troy agreed. "We'll at least wait until Dr. Grant confirms it before we tell anyone. And even then, we'll keep it between us until you're ready. It's going to be hard, though, talking to my dad today and not spilling the beans."

She giggled. "Sweetie, your dad can be a bit dense about that kind of thing. I doubt he'd catch on even if you _did _let something slip."

He chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. My mom's a different story, though. She can read between lines you don't even know you're saying. It's scary."

"I know," Gabriella agreed. "And what about her uncanny ability to call us just after we've had sex? I swear, I half-expect her to figure out, just by asking us how our day was, what positions we used and how many times we climaxed." She shuddered at the thought.

Troy threw back his head and laughed. When he regained control, he squeezed her shoulder playfully. "I think _somebody _has sex on her mind, and I'm _not _talking about my mother."

Gabriella's eyebrows raised in challenge. "Would it be so bad if I _did _have sex on my mind?" Her fingertips dipped under his waistband, but he stopped her with a firm hand around her wrist.

"It wouldn't be bad at all, except that I think we should make sure it's okay with Dr. Grant before we make love again," he told her. She pouted, and he kissed her protruding bottom lip. "Just to be on the safe side, sweetheart. I was pretty rough with you in Hawaii." He grimaced, remembering their passionate love-making. "Everything's changed now. All that matters to me is making sure that you and the baby are okay."

She smiled, touched by his care, and nestled back into his side. It was warm and comfortable, and within minutes, her even breathing told Troy she was asleep. Grinning, he settled further into the plush sofa and kicked his feet up on the coffee table, making himself comfortable to stay there for as long as she needed him.

...~«ώ»~...

After lunch, Troy picked up the phone to call his dad in Albuquerque. He'd tried to anticipate the topics they'd talk about, so that he had answers ready and didn't say anything suspicious. He hoped desperately that Jack Bolton, not Lucille, would answer the phone. Gabriella watched in amusement as Troy dialed the number and then muttered nervously, "Pick up, Dad. Come on, Dad, answer the phone…"

His face lit up, and Gabriella giggled as she listened to Troy's side of the conversation. "Hey, Dad, I'm _so_ glad you answered! What? No, I figured, uh, well, since it's Father's Day, that obviously you're the one I want to talk to. No, I'm not saying I don't want to talk to Mom. I just wanted… what? No, I can talk to Mom later. Really, Dad, I just called to wish you a Happy… Hi, Mom." Troy looked at Gabriella, panicked, and she covered her mouth to contain her laughter.

"It's not funny," he hissed at her, tossing a pillow in her direction.

"On the contrary, I think it's _quite _funny," she whispered back.

Troy listened to his mother, mostly inserting the usual "yeahs" and "ohs" in response, while his wife laughed behind her hand. His eyes abruptly widened, and he looked over at Gabriella again.

"Gabriella?" he said into the phone. "Yeah, she's fine. Why would you think she isn't fine? I mean, yeah, she's been feeling a little under the weather the past few days…" Gabriella froze. "No, I don't think, I mean, it's not… no, it's just that we had a rough flight on the way back from Hawaii. Why would she need to see a doctor? _I'm _a doctor, remember? No, Mom, I'm not trying to be a smart-aleck, I'm just telling you… what? You want to talk to Gabriella?"

Gabriella had been taking a sip of water, and she nearly spit it everywhere. She shook her head vigorously, but, grinning smugly, Troy reached over to hand her the phone.

"You are _so _going to pay for this," she muttered at her snickering husband. Glaring at him, she pressed the Speaker button so Troy could hear both sides of the conversation. "Lucille! How are you?"

"Hi, Gabriella," Lucille greeted before getting straight to the point. "What's going on? Why is Troy acting strange?" Troy snickered again.

"Strange?" Gabriella feigned ignorance. "I hadn't noticed. He's always been a little odd, don't you think?" She smirked at Troy, whose mouth had dropped open in mock-hurt.

It dropped open even farther with Lucille's reply. "Yes, that's true, but he's acting stranger than usual. Is everything all right with you two? Troy said you weren't feeling well."

"We flew through a storm over the ocean on the way home from Hawaii," Gabriella told her. The playfulness in her voice disappeared, and she stood and walked into the kitchen so Troy couldn't see her sudden vulnerability.

She stood at the sink, looking out at the back yard, and lowered her voice. "It was terrifying, Lucille. There was lightning almost non-stop, and hail, and the plane was bouncing around so much that it felt like we were… going to end up in the ocean." Her voice choked at the end, and Troy's strong hands closed around her upper arms from behind, kneading comfortingly. She hadn't heard him follow her into the kitchen, but she turned her head to offer a grateful smile.

"I'm so sorry, honey," Lucille told her. "That must have been awful. I admire your strength, though, that you can still fly after all the difficulties you've had."

Gabriella sighed. "I don't really have a choice when you and Jack are a thousand miles away and Mom is on the other side of the country."

"Now that you mentioned it, I wanted to compare schedules with you two and find some free time next month. Jack and I would like to come to San Francisco for a visit," Lucille segued.

Gabriella turned to see that Troy's smile matched her own. "That's a great idea! But I thought Jack was teaching this summer."

"His driver's education class will be done in two weeks," Lucille answered. "And Troy, since I know you're listening, your dad is dying to go to a Giants game with you."

Troy took a step back, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and Gabriella giggled. "He'd love that," she answered for him. "They went to a game last month for Mark's bachelor party and had a blast."

"Oh yes, how did Mark and Kelly's wedding go?" Lucille asked.

"It was beautiful," Gabriella enthused. "And I suppose you knew about the surprise your son cooked up for our anniversary."

"I did," she confirmed. "Did you enjoy it? Did anything _exciting_ happen?"

Lucille's emphasis on that particular word caused Gabriella to blush deeply and Troy's eyes to widen, as if Lucille somehow knew everything they'd done and all the places they'd done it.

"Um… uh…" Gabriella stuttered. "We… um… renewed our vows on our anniversary. Troy made all the arrangements."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Lucille exclaimed, and Gabriella let out a small sigh of relief. "I'm so glad my son treats you the way you deserve to be treated."

"He does," she confirmed, smiling at her husband. Troy winked at her. "It's really a testament to the way you and Jack raised him."

"Thank you, sweetie," Lucille answered. "Okay, Troy, I'm going to put your father back on so you can talk to him. Goodbye, Gabriella. Get some rest, and take good care of yourself, okay?"

Gabriella's eyes widened once more. "O-okay," she replied. "Bye."

She handed the phone back to Troy, who bent to kiss her cheek before he resumed his conversation with Jack. She noticed that her hands were shaking, and eased onto a stool at the island. Even a thousand miles away, Lucille's sixth sense was a force to be reckoned with, and Gabriella hoped that she and Troy got to tell her about the baby before she figured it out on her own.

...~«ώ»~...

That afternoon, Troy and Gabriella set out in the car, but instead of heading north toward Golden Gate Park, Troy turned southbound onto the interstate.

"Troy, where are we going?" she asked.

He grinned over at her. "The same place I've taken you for the past four years." He cocked his head thoughtfully. "Well, technically I didn't _take _you there the first time. But we definitely left together."

"Stanford?" she exclaimed happily, squealing when he nodded. "We're going to the church where we got married, aren't we?"

"We are," he confirmed, reaching over to take her hand. "We didn't get to go on our anniversary like usual, but we still have plenty to celebrate."

She nodded in agreement and then tilted her head philosophically. "Just think, Troy... You drove this route between Berkeley and Stanford, hundreds, maybe _thousands_ of times when we were in college. Who would've imagined that you'd still be driving it after four amazing years of marriage and with a baby on the way?"

He glanced over to smile and wink at her. "And I'll _still _be driving this route when we have a carful of kids, because they're going to hear the stories about how special this place is to us. And they're going to roll their eyes, just like I did when my parents told stories about _their _courtship. But one thing's for sure—our kids will _never_ doubt how much their father is in love with their mother."

"And vice versa," Gabriella added softly. She glanced out the window, watching the passing scenery for a few moments, and then turned back to her husband. "What exactly did you mean by a 'carful of kids'?"

Troy laughed easily. "All that romantic stuff I just said, and _that's _what you got out of it?"

"Well, since I'm the one who has to give birth to all these children, I should at least know how many to expect," she argued logically. "And what size car you plan to have."

Troy laughed again. "We've always said we wanted at least two, since we both grew up as only children. I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Sounds good," she agreed. "Now, back to that romantic stuff you said. Are we going to be the kind of parents who embarrass the kids because we can't keep our hands off each other?"

"Absolutely," he grinned teasingly. "I don't intend to stop being affectionate with my gorgeous wife under _any _circumstances, so I'm certainly not going to let a few kids slow me down."

Gabriella glanced down, suddenly self-conscious. "What if, after having a few kids, I'm not so gorgeous anymore?"

"Never gonna happen," he answered confidently. Sensing the change in her demeanor, he squeezed her hand. "Gabriella, I've thought you were gorgeous since the moment I met you. No matter how your body changes, I'll always think you're beautiful, because you're _you, _the woman I love."

She sent him a relieved smile. "Thank you, Troy."

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it before grinning at her. "What about me? You know, some expectant fathers gain a bunch of weight while their wives are pregnant. I could be lugging around a serious gut in nine months' time."

She giggled at the mental image. "You'd have to go into the Witness Protection Program to get away from Mark. He would _never _let you hear the end of it if you let yourself go like that."

Troy laughed. "True. Who needs a diet plan when you've got the biting sarcasm of Mark Davis to motivate you?"

She pinched his firm stomach teasingly. "I rest my case."

...~«ώ»~...

By the time they walked to the Memorial Church at Stanford, all of its Sunday services were over, and the massive front doors were locked. Undeterred, Troy led Gabriella up the front steps, took his wife's hands and initiated their anniversary ritual.

"I still do," he told her seriously.

"I still do too," she answered.

"Can I kiss the bride?" he asked.

"Absolutely," she agreed.

He dipped her and kissed her, just as he had on those front steps on their wedding day. When he set her upright again, he kept an arm on her back to steady her, and brushed his fingertips against her stomach.

"Next year, it won't be just the two of us anymore," he pointed out with a smile.

"I know," she said softly. "It's a dream come true."

Troy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cloth bag, which he dropped into her hand.

"What's this?" she asked.

"There's only one way to find out," he grinned.

Gabriella loosened the drawstring and tipped the bag into her hand. Out fell a small charm that matched the other three charms on the bracelet Troy had given her for their anniversary in Hawaii. She turned it over in her palm and read the single word engraved on it: _Makuahine. _

"What does it mean?" she asked breathlessly.

His fingers skimmed across her belly again, and he looked at her seriously. "It means 'Mother.'"

A shiver ran through her, and her eyes grew wide. "When did… how…?" She glanced between his face and the charm, trying to understand.

"I bought it when I bought your bracelet and the other charms," he told her as he took the charm from her hand and lifted her arm to fasten it onto the bracelet. "I just had this feeling… I was hoping we would conceive while we were in Hawaii," he confessed. "I had no idea that by then the mission had already been accomplished." Troy turned her arm to see all four charms dangling from her bracelet. "Beautiful," he murmured. "Just like the mother of my child."

"Thank you, Troy," she said softly. "It's perfect. I love it. And I love _you_."

...~«ώ»~...

The second part of their anniversary ritual involved a stroll across the Quad to "their" tree.

Gabriella had gotten a burst of energy after her morning nap, and she squealed with barely-concealed excitement as they neared their destination.

"Troy, let's dance," she exclaimed. "I want to waltz with you."

"Hey," he scolded. "You're supposed to wait for the gentleman to ask. It's so gauche for a lady to ask for a dance."

"Fine, then," she pouted. "But if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even know how to waltz."

He led her over and seated her on the bench that circled the tree, and then offered an exaggerated bow. "Milady, may I have the pleasure of this dance?"

She folded her arms petulantly. "I'm sorry, sir, but my dance card is full."

Troy pretended to be aghast. "What must a gentleman do to erase a few names from the lady's dance card?"

Gabriella grinned wickedly at him. "It's far too gauche for a gentleman to ask such a thing of a lady. If the gentleman wishes to change the lady's heart, he must prove himself worthy."

He stared at her for a minute, thinking, and then a grin spread across his face. He stepped onto the bench beside her and pulled himself up into the tree. Puzzled, she looked up, watching him climb. The tree had grown considerably taller since he'd first stood in it waiting for her on prom night ten years earlier, but he stayed close to the trunk, seeming to search for something. He was at least 25 feet above the ground when he apparently found it.

"Aha!" he exclaimed, looking down triumphantly through the foliage. "I wish I could bring you up here to see this, but we're not going to take any chances, so this will have to do." He pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped a picture, and then carefully climbed back down.

When he dropped back to the ground, he sat beside her and slid an arm around her, pulling her into his side. "I'd completely forgotten about this until a few months ago, the night Kelly and Mark had that big fight. When I came home, you were asleep on the couch, and our wedding album was open on the coffee table. Do you remember which picture you were looking at?"

She smiled at the memory. "The one where the photographer digitally added our initials on this tree. I love that picture."

"Me too," he agreed. "Seeing that picture reminded me of something…" He reopened his phone and pulled up the image he'd snapped up in the tree.

"Troy!" she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. The photo showed a tiny set of initials—TB + GM—inside a very roughly carved heart that looked to be about the size of a golf ball. Gabriella looked up into the tree and then back at him, waiting for an explanation.

Troy scratched the back of his neck. "When I came after you… on prom night… you were in class, and you were the last one out of the building. I was… well, up in the tree, and I got a little bored, so…" He glanced at her, unsure what her reaction would be. "I, um… used my truck key to carve our initials…" She didn't immediately say anything, and he rushed ahead nervously. "It's really small—nobody would even notice it unless they were looking for it, and it obviously didn't hurt the tree. Plus, it's up really high since the tree's grown…"

She mercifully stopped him with a hand on his arm. "It's very sweet, Troy." She glanced up again. "I want to see it. Come on, I can climb that far."

"Uh uh, no way," he said firmly. "Not with the dizzy spells you've been having lately. That's a risk I'm not willing to take."

She started to argue, but then realized he was right. "Okay, but next year, after the baby's born, I'm climbing up to see it."

Troy chuckled. "I'll take you up myself." That settled, he stood and reached for her hand. "Are you ready to waltz now?"

Deciding he'd suitably redeemed himself, Gabriella took his hand and let him pull her into his arms.

"Ready?" he asked softly. She nodded, and they stepped off, perfectly in sync. After a few trips around the tree, Gabriella was running out of steam. Troy watched her closely, and when sweat began to bead on her forehead, he halted their dance and took her back to the bench. She sighed with frustration.

"Why do I get so tired so fast? I'm not _that _out of shape," she said.

"You're not out of shape, sweetheart, you're pregnant," Troy soothed. "Your body's using a_ lot_ of energy to build the placenta and give the baby what it needs to grow. It's frustrating, but it's normal." Hoping to cheer her up, he changed the subject. "Okay, while we're sitting here, tell me one of your favorite memories involving this tree. And since we've already covered prom night, you can't use that."

"We didn't cover _all _of prom night," Gabriella argued. She smiled sentimentally at him. "That was the night you first told me that you loved me, remember?"

"Yeah," he answered with a grin. "After our waltz. Okay, what about all the times that I waited for you here after class so we could go on dates?"

"You surprised me a few times," she answered softly. "I always looked for you here when I walked by after class, wishing, hoping…" She trailed off, but then her eyes lit with excitement. "Ooh, Troy, remember the Valentine's Day where you had me follow clues on a scavenger hunt? This was the starting point."

"And the ending point," he added. "That was, of course, after I had you traipse all over campus."

"I remember _that, _too," she agreed, sending him a mock-glare.

"I asked your father's permission to marry you under this tree," Troy went on.

Gabriella looked at him strangely. "What? You never told me that!"

"I didn't?" He searched his memory and realized that she was right. "It was at the end of our first semester of grad school. You were taking a final exam, and I waited here for you after my finals were done. Do you remember what I gave you for Christmas that year?"

"A trip to the ski lodge in Colorado," she said softly. "That was when you proposed to me."

"Yeah," he nodded. "I asked your mom for her permission to propose, but it didn't feel right that I couldn't ask your dad. So that day, when I was waiting for you, I started talking to your father. I'm sure people thought I was nuts, sitting here talking to myself, but I told him that I loved you and that I would take good care of you, and then I asked him for his blessing to marry you."

Gabriella clasped her hands together, enchanted by the story. "Did you get an answer?" she asked breathlessly.

Troy scratched the back of his neck again. "A bird pooped on my shoulder."

She laughed delightedly, and the carefree sound thrilled Troy. She laughed so hard that tears formed in the corners of her eyes, and he laughed along with her.

"I'd like to think that was a coincidence," he admitted when they'd calmed.

"No way," she giggled. "That was Daddy warning you that he'd be keeping an eye on you." She stared off across the Quad, and when she spoke again, her voice was choked. "He would've been so happy about the baby." Her lingering tears spilled down her cheeks, and Troy pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her.

"He would've," Troy agreed quietly. "And he would be so proud to see how you turned out."

"I miss him, Troy," she confessed tearfully. "Maybe that's silly, since he's been gone so long, but it's Father's Day, and I wish I could call him like you called your dad."

"It's not silly at all," he told her. "You and your dad were really close, and you lost him at a young age. I wish we could call him too, so he could threaten bodily harm to me if I hurt you in any way."

She nodded, nuzzling into his neck. He rubbed her back, and then took a deep breath and looked up. "Mr. Montez, sir…" Gabriella lifted her head curiously, but Troy stared up into the green branches. "I just want you to know that I love your daughter very, very much, and I promise to do my best to make her happy." He cleared his throat. "Sir, you get to be the first to know that Gabriella and I are expecting a baby. I wish you could be here to love and spoil your grandchild, but I'd like to think that you know, and that you're celebrating with us." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "And, Mr. Montez, since your daughter's here with me, please, no bird poop this time, okay?"

Gabriella smiled, deeply touched by Troy's words. A butterfly glided by on the breeze, and Gabriella gasped when it turned toward them and circled their heads before drifting away. "I love you, Daddy," she whispered into the wind.

...~«ώ»~...

On Monday afternoon, Gabriella received a text from Troy, apologizing profusely for running late for her appointment with Dr. Grant. It was just as well—Gabriella had met only briefly with Dr. Grant before being sent to the hospital lab next door for blood work. When she returned to the OB/GYN's office, Troy was sitting in the waiting room, his legs bouncing nervously. Gabriella smiled at the peculiar sight of a doctor, dressed in scrubs, sitting in the waiting room of another doctor's office. As soon as he saw her, he sprang to his feet and rushed over.

"I'm _so _sorry, I got held up in the ER," he hurriedly explained, gripping her arms. "Did I miss…? What did she…? Do we know…?" He shook his head, trying to clear his jumbled thoughts.

"Should I answer, or wait for you to finish the questions?" she teased. "And hi, by the way."

Troy finally pulled himself together. "I'm sorry. Hi, sweetheart." He gave her a quick kiss and frowned when he noticed her pale cheeks and droopy eyes. "Are you okay?"

She nodded ruefully. "Rough morning."

He guided her to one of the plush waiting room seats and sat her down, pulling up a chair beside her. "Have you met with Dr. Grant yet? The nurse said you were over at the lab having blood drawn."

Before she could answer, the door leading to the exam rooms opened, and the nurse motioned for Gabriella to follow her. Once in the exam room, she gave Gabriella a gown to change into and told her that Dr. Grant would be in shortly. After the nurse left, closing the door behind her, Gabriella turned to Troy, her eyes filled with concern.

"A gown, Troy? Does that mean something's wrong? I thought the blood test was all she needed."

"Hey, it's no big deal," he told her calmly, a smile quirking the corners of his mouth. "Most doctors find it easier to examine their patients without the obstruction of clothing. Don't read anything else into it."

She changed quickly and climbed up to sit on the exam table just as Dr. Grant knocked and opened the door.

"Dr. Bolton, nice to see you again," she greeted, offering him a handshake.

"Hi, Dr. Grant," he replied politely.

Dr. Grant pulled a rolling stool over and sat to sift through the sheaf of papers in her hands. Troy stood by Gabriella's side, his arm around her. After what seemed like an eternity, Dr. Grant looked up and smiled.

"Congratulations," she told them. "The blood test confirmed it. Gabriella, you are pregnant."

It was news that the couple had been celebrating for the past two days, but still, the official confirmation made it feel more real to them. Troy pulled his wife into a firm embrace, and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He soon felt the moisture of her tears against his neck, and pulled back enough to kiss her.

"I love you, sweetheart," he whispered.

"I love _you_," she replied softly. "Troy, we're really having a baby!"

"We are," he confirmed. He was surprised to look up and see Dr. Grant wiping a tear from her eye as well.

"I tell a lot of women that they're pregnant," she explained. "For some of them, it's not good news. For some, they don't know who the father is, or whether he'll be involved in their baby's life. So when I get to tell the news to a happy, committed couple like you two, it's…" She paused, trying to find the right words to explain. "It's one of my favorite parts of this job. I know how much your baby is loved and wanted."

"Absolutely," Troy agreed.

Dr. Grant looked back at her papers. "It's a bit more difficult to determine a due date, since Gabriella hadn't resumed normal menstrual cycles following surgery." She winked at Gabriella. "You two certainly didn't waste any time, did you?"

Gabriella giggled as Troy's face reddened slightly.

"We'll know more after we do the first ultrasound in a couple of months, but based on the timing of the symptoms you told me about, I'm guessing you're about four weeks along," Dr. Grant continued. "The way it's calculated is kind of confusing, but a pregnancy is forty weeks after the first day of your last period. So technically, you're considered to be two weeks pregnant when conception occurs. Most couples who have a healthy, active sex life can't pinpoint exactly when their baby was conceived, but we're looking at a due date around the end of February."

"We'll do a complete physical exam today, including a breast exam and pap smear," Dr. Grant went on. "We'll also take a full medical history and establish your baselines—weight, blood pressure, heart rate—as a reference so we can monitor your health as the pregnancy progresses. The nurse will give you a packet of information about what's normal and what isn't, and how you can take care of yourself in the coming months. There's a brochure in there that deals with early pregnancy issues such as fatigue and morning sickness. I should warn you, Gabriella, it will most likely get worse before it gets better. Listen to your body and don't overdo it. Stay nourished and hydrated, and let your husband take care of you. I'm sure he'll rise to the challenge."

"Your wish is my command, beautiful," Troy told Gabriella nobly.

"I know there's a lot to absorb right now, but do you have any questions?" Dr. Grant asked.

"What about… um…" Troy scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Is it safe to…? I mean, are we allowed to…?" He looked at Gabriella for help and saw her smiling in amusement.

"Are you asking about whether it's all right to have sex, Dr. Bolton?" Dr. Grant asked, grinning conspiratorially at Gabriella. Troy nodded. "Well, actually, it's best for the mother and the baby if you refrain from any sexual contact during the pregnancy."

Troy's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, and the two women laughed.

"You set me up," he accused his wife, but she shook her head, still giggling.

"I've gotten similar reactions from a lot of expectant fathers through the years," Dr. Grant confessed with a grin. "Dr. Bolton, I trust that you studied Reproductive Sciences in medical school. Is that correct?" Troy nodded. "Then you should already know the answer."

"As a doctor, I know," Troy confirmed. "But as a husband... Gabriella is very precious to me, and I want to be absolutely sure that she is safe and comfortable. Likewise for our baby."

Dr. Grant nodded in understanding. "There are no restrictions on sex during a normal pregnancy, so unless I instruct you differently, you can continue to enjoy an intimate relationship with your wife. Whatever Gabriella is comfortable with. Just be sure to communicate, and I think you'll find that pregnant sex can be quite enjoyable." She glanced back and forth between the couple, amused by the heated look that they exchanged. "Okay, Gabriella, lie back and we'll get this done and get you out of here." She winked again at her patient. "I have a feeling you have an enjoyable evening ahead of you."

Gabriella glanced meaningfully at Troy, who was grinning from ear to ear. "Dr. Grant, I have a feeling that you are absolutely right."


	24. Making Adjustments

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 24—Making Adjustments**

**A/N: This chapter is rated M.**

Over dinner that evening, Troy and Gabriella discussed when and how to tell their families and friends about the pregnancy.

"I think we should tell our parents first before we tell anyone else," Gabriella commented.

Troy nodded in agreement. "It works out well that my parents are coming for a visit in a couple of weeks. That'll be an great time to share the good news in person rather than over the phone."

"If you can dodge your mom's sixth sense that long," Gabriella smiled. She laid down her fork and folded her hands contemplatively. "What about my mom? We'll probably have to tell her over the phone, since I doubt she'll be visiting anytime soon."

He covered her hands with his. "Call her," he encouraged. "Maybe she can come for a few days while my parents are here, and we can tell all of them at the same time." He chuckled. "Once my mom knows, we'll have to tell everyone else quickly, before she gets to them. She'll probably take out an ad in the Albuquerque Journal."

She laughed softly. "You're probably right. We'll have to call Chad and Taylor before she gets to Chad's parents."

"What about Mark and Kelly?" he asked. "They know something's going on after your dizzy spell at their reception on Saturday."

"Kelly was suspicious even when we were in Hawaii for their wedding," Gabriella told him. "It's going to be tougher not to tell them, especially for you, since you see them almost every day."

"It _will _be tough, but I agree that we should tell our parents first," Troy said, squeezing her hand. "For now, it'll be our special little secret."

"Okay," she agreed with a smile.

He glanced at her half-eaten dinner and then back at her. "Is that all you're eating? I admit that my cooking isn't as good as yours, but it's not _that _bad, is it?"

"It's fine, Troy," she assured him. "I'm just not very hungry."

He frowned, reaching over to feel her forehead. "Are you feeling sick? Maybe you should turn in early tonight…"

She caught his wrist and pulled it away from her head. "Troy, I'm okay. I don't feel sick, I'm just not very hungry. That's all."

He tilted his head, watching her, trying to decide whether to press the issue. Finally he pushed his chair back and began clearing the dishes from the table. She stood with him, automatically pitching in to help. They carried the leftovers to the kitchen, and Troy took the plates from Gabriella's hands. She went to the cupboard and took out containers to store the leftovers, but Troy halted her.

"I'll take care of it," he told her firmly.

"Troy, I'm not an invalid," she argued.

"I know, sweetheart, but you _are _pregnant," he replied calmly. "Dr. Grant said to take it easy."

Gabriella sighed with frustration. "She said to take it easy, not to stop living."

He turned, resting a hip against the counter, and pulled her against him. "I just want to make sure you're okay. We tried for more than six months before we conceived our little one, and I don't want to take any chances. Why don't you go lie down for a little while?"

"Fine," she reluctantly agreed, giving him a quick kiss before walking out of the kitchen. She was frustrated, and as much as she loved when Troy doted on her and took care of her, she needed to prove to him that she wasn't as fragile as he imagined. She smiled as an idea formed in her head, and with a smile, she went to the bedroom to put her plan into action.

...~«ώ»~...

After Troy finished in the kitchen and started the dishwasher, he went to look for Gabriella. She wasn't in the living room, and he smiled, assuming she'd taken his suggestion to lie down. The bedroom door was closed, and he opened it quietly. He was shocked and aroused to find her lying on the bed, dressed in a lacy pink babydoll. The problem was, she was fast asleep. Troy squeezed his eyes shut and tilted his head back, fighting temptation. They hadn't made love since the night of their anniversary in Hawaii, and he missed her. He _wanted _her. Badly.

Concern for her health won out over his libido, though, and with a sigh, he pulled a blanket over her, turned off the light, and retreated to the living room. He picked up the information Dr. Grant's nurse had given them and opened to the first page. The heading read, "Early Pregnancy Symptoms," and Troy scanned down the list. He smiled at the first symptom: Fatigue. _Check, _he nodded before reading on. Nausea and vomiting. Tender, swollen breasts. Increased sensitivity to odors. Frequent urination. High basal body temperature. _Yep, sounds about right, _he told himself. And he'd be there for her through it all.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy awoke early the next morning and immediately realized that Gabriella was not in bed beside him. When he'd come to bed the night before, she'd hardly moved, and he'd guessed that the pregnancy was affecting her more than she'd admitted. That idea was reinforced when he heard a whimper from the bathroom. Pushing aside the covers, he plodded over and pushed open the bathroom door. Gabriella was hunched on the floor in front of the toilet, still wearing her sexy babydoll. She glanced up at him briefly before returning her attention to the commode.

"Baby, why didn't you wake me?" he asked softly, kneeling beside her and stroking a hand over her hair.

She looked at him again, and he thought he saw a flicker of hurt in her gaze. "Like you woke me last night?"

"Gabriella, Dr. Grant said you should rest when you're tired," he reasoned. "It would've been selfish for me to wake you up, even though, trust me, I _wanted_ to."

She started to argue, but just then her stomach reversed, and she leaned forward wearily and let it go. Troy slid an arm around her waist and found that she was shivering. When she finished, he stood and retrieved a fluffy robe from her closet. Returning to the bathroom, he handed her a glass of water from the sink and draped the robe around her shoulders before she sagged against the wall. He sank down beside her and pulled her into his arms.

"You're going to be missing a _lot _of sleep if you keep getting up with me," she observed wryly. "Maybe I should just bring a pillow and blanket in here and sleep on the floor."

"No way," he argued. "I promised I'd be with you every step of the way, and I meant it. We're in this together, sweetheart. That's a promise."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella's symptoms followed a similar pattern throughout that week, and Troy's heart ached knowing how much she was suffering. She insisted that she was okay—that the symptoms made the pregnancy feel more real to her—but he worried about her nonetheless. He hated leaving for work in the mornings while she was hunched over the toilet, and he missed spending time with her in the evenings when she fell asleep right after dinner. On Wednesday evening they curled up together on the couch to watch a movie, and when Gabriella inevitably drifted off, Troy turned off the television and watched her sleep peacefully. Then he read and learned more about pregnancy and birth. The study of reproduction had been part of his medical training, but experiencing it up close was another matter altogether. It was all part of adjusting to life with a pregnant wife, and he was determined to be ready for anything.

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy came home Thursday evening, he went to the kitchen and was surprised that Gabriella wasn't there. Hoping she was taking a nap, he carefully pushed open the bedroom door. He was blown away, however, to discover that not only was she _not _sleeping, but she was in fact sprawled on the bed wearing a few miniscule scraps of fabric. He immediately felt himself harden.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he choked.

"Seducing my husband," she answered saucily. "Is it working?"

"Gabriella, I…"

"Since I can't seem to stay awake after dinner, I thought maybe you'd be interested in a little pre-dinner appetizer," she interrupted. Her fingertips brushing leisurely strokes against the thin material that covered her core, and he groaned in agony. "Do you like to watch me touch myself?" she asked, her voice dripping with seduction and sex. "I'd rather have _you _touch me. Then you can feel how wet I am."

Troy stood frozen in place, unable to speak and turned on beyond belief, as he watched the slow, circular strokes of his wife's fingers. She continued her motions for a minute or two before looking up at him in frustration.

"Troy, _please_," she begged. "I need you and you're just standing there!"

He quickly lowered himself beside her, brushing her hand away and replacing it with his own. He swirled and stroked her with practiced ease, and familiar pants and sighs soon escaped her mouth. He kissed her hard, and then trailed a line of wet kisses down her body. He lingered over her belly, kissing and licking a gentle circle around her navel, before continuing his downward journey. She cried out when his lips settled over her swollen clit and his fingers dipped inside her.

"You were right," he murmured, looking up at her. "You _are _really wet."

She was too far gone to summon any words in response, so he returned to his task, gripping her hips as she writhed with pleasure.

"Gabriella, look at me," he instructed. She lifted her head just in time to see him draw his fingers all the way out and plunge them back inside her. She sucked in a startled breath, and he seized that moment to nip her clit with his teeth. She exploded, crying out, and he felt the flutters of her orgasm against his lips and fingers. When she calmed, he crawled up beside her and drew her up to a sitting position. He sat beside her, but when she reached for his waistband, he captured her hands.

"Sweetheart, before we go any farther, we need to talk," he told her.

Stung by his implied rejection, she tried to pull her hands free, but he laced their fingers together to keep his hold on her.

"Troy," she whimpered, nearly in tears. "I want you. Please."

"I want you too, baby," he assured her. "You have _no _idea how badly I want you. But things are different now. I need to be more careful with you. I've never made love to a pregnant woman before, and I want to make sure I don't hurt you or the baby."

"I'm not a porcelain doll, Troy," she retorted. "And you _have _made love to a pregnant woman, you just didn't know I was pregnant. You certainly weren't careful with me in Hawaii, and it didn't hurt the baby, did it?"

Troy grimaced. "No, luckily it didn't, but if I'd known, I _never _would have handled you so roughly."

"Why do you get to decide?" she challenged angrily. "I may be pregnant, but I'm still your lover, and I still want the same things." She trailed off, turning away from him as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Troy, in Hawaii, we made love so many times and in so many ways—it was incredible. I felt so connected and in tune with you that, at least for me, it was some of the best sex we've had in a long time." She glanced at him and then turned away again, unable to face him as she stumbled on. "I still want that with you. My body's going to go through a lot of changes in the next eight months, and our sex life will probably change too. I just want… I want to hold on to what we have for as long as possible."

He turned her head back to face him as understanding dawned. "Sweetheart, please don't mistake my hesitation for a lack of desire. Since we found out about the baby, I've wanted you more than ever. Do you know how _hot_ you are, sitting here, pregnant with my child? I've barely been able to think about anything else!" He touched her cheek, stroking his thumb across her soft skin. "I want to make love to you so badly it hurts. But I have to think about you. You've been so sick this week, I'm just not sure you're ready for this, and if I made things worse for you, I could never forgive myself. This is a big adjustment for _both _of us."

She took his hand in both of hers. "If we wait until I feel completely fine, it may be a _long _eight months. You have to trust me when I say that I'm ready, I'm okay, and I _want _this. I want _you._"

He tilted his head, considering her words. "You have to promise to tell me if you start to feel sick or uncomfortable, or if it hurts at all, or if you change your mind…"

She touched his face. "I won't change my mind," she told him earnestly. "I need you."

"I need you too," he murmured, pulling her into his arms. "More than my next breath."

"Please, Troy," she whispered against his neck. "Make love to me."

He kissed her then, lowering her onto her back and settling beside her. He took his time, kissing, stroking, caressing, until he felt the quiver of her approaching orgasm. Instead of coaxing her over the edge, he lifted her silk chemise over her head and eased her panties down her legs. Then he removed his clothing and hovered over her uncertainly. She took his erection in her hand, and he nearly shouted. As she stroked him gently, she guided him toward her core and looked up at him expectantly.

He watched her face as he entered her carefully, making sure there was no indication of pain or discomfort. When he was completely inside, he lowered himself onto her, propping himself on his elbows.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Perfect," she answered with a smile.

Troy held himself still and leaned in to kiss her tenderly. His mind raced, scarcely able to believe that it was really happening. He'd dreamed—fantasized—about making love to her when she was pregnant, and although physically it felt the same as always, emotionally it threatened to overwhelm him. He pulled back to look at Gabriella and was concerned to see tears glistening in her eyes.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Am I hurting you?" He braced his hands next to her head, preparing to pull out, but she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"It doesn't hurt," she said softly. "It's… wonderful. I can't really explain how I'm feeling…"

"You don't have to," he murmured. "I'm feeling it too."

They looked down at where their bodies were joined and watched, transfixed, as Troy carefully pulled out and slid back in. Her hands caressed his bare back, and when he pulled out again, she grasped his backside to pull him back in. He lowered himself onto her again, kissing the tears from her cheeks and sliding an arm under her to hold her close.

"I love you," he murmured against her ear. "I can't even tell you how much…"

"Show me," she whispered, swirling her hips. "I love you, Troy."

He thrust in response, and as much as he wanted to take his time and hold on to the incredible feelings they were experiencing, he physically could not hold back any longer, and his thrusts quickened as his lover panted and squirmed beneath him.

His climax hit him like a freight train, and a guttural cry escaped from his very soul as he poured himself into her. She came with him, digging her fingernails into the small of his back as she trembled with the force of her release.

Shifting slightly to the side, he gathered her in his arms and held her tightly. They laid there for a long while, still connected, both breathing hard. He stroked her hair and caressed her skin, and when she looked up at him and smiled happily, he grinned in response.

"Is that the look of a satisfied lover?" he asked.

"It is," she confirmed. "And I think I could say the same of you."

"Definitely," he nodded, tracing the lines of her face with his fingertip. "My beautiful, beautiful girl."

"_Ku'u lei_," she said drowsily, touching the necklace that rested on his chest. "My beloved."

He chuckled at her contented sigh. "_Mau loa_," he said in reply. "Forever."

...~«ώ»~...

On Friday afternoon, Troy got a page instructing him to report to Dr. Overman's office as soon as possible. He quickly made his way to the sports medicine clinic and waited nervously until Dr. Overman poked his head out the door.

"Troy, come on in and have a seat," Dr. Overman invited. Troy was surprised to see that Dr. Gould was already seated beside Dr. Overman's massive oak desk, and he looked between his supervisors nervously.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," Dr. Overman told him as he settled into his leather chair. "We have a special assignment for you, and since there are some logistics that need to be worked out, I've asked Dr. Gould to sit in on our meeting."

Troy blew out a sigh of relief. "What kind of logistics?"

"Well, as you know, the residents in the sports medicine program are not scheduled to receive field assignments for another month, but I got a call this week from one of my friends who's a college athletic director," Dr. Overman explained. "Their football team physician was fired last week, and they're desperate to find a replacement by the time the team goes to training camp at the end of July. I suggested that, rather than trying to find a team physician on such short notice, that they consider taking on a resident in sports medicine to cover the season. That way, they can launch a more thorough search to find a suitable replacement."

"Okay…" Troy interjected as his mind raced, trying to figure out how he fit into the equation.

"I'm sure you're aware that most sports medicine residents receive field assignments with high school teams, so this is an incredible opportunity, and I've chosen you for the position." Dr. Overman leaned back, tenting his fingers, watching as Troy's jaw dropped.

"Wow, sir, I… I don't know what to say," Troy stammered. "I'm honored… wow, this is incredible!"

Dr. Overman smiled broadly. "You're a very talented doctor, Troy. You have a very promising career ahead of you. It's possible, if you do a good job, that they might consider hiring you to permanently fill the position."

Troy legs bounced with barely-contained excitement. "That's amazing! Of course, I still need to finish my orthopedic surgery certification," he pointed out.

"With a job like this, you wouldn't really need it," Dr. Overman countered. "UCS has one of the top-ranked athletic programs in the country."

Troy frowned. "UCS? UC San Francisco doesn't have an athletic program."

Dr. Overman shook his head. "No, not UCS_F_. UCS… University of California at Sacramento."

Troy's stomach dropped. "Wait, Sacramento? That's a hundred miles away! There's no way I could make that commute every day!"

"UCS will provide housing for you, as well as a nice salary and a mileage reimbursement," Dr. Overman countered. "It's really a very generous offer."

"Why aren't they using a resident from UC Davis?" Dr. Gould put in. "That's a lot closer to than we are."

"Their school of medicine doesn't offer a sports medicine program," Dr. Overman told her. "Ours is the closest, and the best, in northern California."

Troy's head swam, and he lifted his hand to touch the necklace that was tucked under his scrubs, the one Gabriella had given him in Hawaii. "Dr. Overman, I'm incredibly honored that you chose me for this assignment, but I'm sorry, I can't accept it."

Dr. Overman looked up, shocked. "What? Of course you're going to accept it. You'd be a fool to turn it down."

"Troy, the sports medicine assignments are generally not up for debate," Dr. Gould reminded him sternly. "Residents are expected to take what they get."

"But this is not a typical assignment," Troy argued. "If we were talking about local high school teams, that would be one thing, but you're asking me to move to a different city and leave my wife behind. I won't do that."

"It's only for a few months," Dr. Overman countered. "Dr. Gould and I are aware of the challenges you and Gabriella have endured, but I don't see the problem here. Yes, it'll be an adjustment, but you can come home on weekends when the team doesn't play. It shouldn't be a big deal."

"No, you're wrong," Troy disagreed. "It _is _a big deal."

"Why?" Dr. Overman asked.

"I… I can't say," Troy answered.

Dr. Gould leaned forward, obviously unhappy with Troy for arguing with his superiors. "Bolton, you're going to have to do better than that. You're way too smart to give up an opportunity like this without a good reason. Start talking."

Troy looked down at his hands and fidgeted with his wedding ring. "We, um… we haven't told anyone yet… not even our parents…" He looked up again, clearly conflicted. "Gabriella is pregnant. We just found out a few days ago." His stormy eyes pleaded for his colleagues to understand.

"Congratulations!" Dr. Gould exclaimed.

Dr. Overman stood to reach across his desk and shake Troy's hand. "Yes, congratulations! You both must be thrilled."

Troy couldn't stop the proud smile that spread across his face. "We are. It's incredible. She's due at the end of February." He paused, and his face fell. "That's why I can't take this assignment, sir. It sounds amazing, but I promised Gabriella that I would be with her through every step of the pregnancy. It's our first child, and I don't want to miss anything. Besides, she's been terribly sick this week—her morning sickness is pretty much around the clock. I can't leave her like that. I just can't. I need to be here to take care of her."

Dr. Overman frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. But she'll be through her first trimester by…" he paused to count back from the due date. "…the end of August. Her symptoms should improve by then."

"What if they don't?" Troy asked stubbornly. "Besides, I'll miss her doctor appointments, ultrasounds, half of her pregnancy! No. No way! I can't leave her to fend for herself in her condition. I won't do that to her."

Dr. Gould held up her hand to halt the men's argument. "Dr. Overman, what if we could work out an arrangement with UCS, whereby Troy could work with the team four days a week—let's say Wednesday through Saturday, since that's when their games take place. Then he could be home Sunday through Tuesday, with one day off and two days on rotation here. Most residents are expected to continue in the residency program at this hospital during their team physician assignments anyway. I'd rather have him here on a reduced rotation than lose him altogether for three months."

Dr. Overman thought for a minute. "It could work," he admitted. "I'd have to clear it with the athletic director, though."

Troy's hands knitted together in his lap. "I don't know… That's still a lot of time away. I don't think…"

"Look, Troy, I'm not going to let you turn down this opportunity without at least taking time to think about it," Dr. Overman interrupted. "Talk it over with Gabriella, and I'll contact my friend to see if he's willing to modify his offer. I'll let you know as soon as I hear from him. I hate to rush you on this, but I need an answer by Monday."

"Monday?" Troy nearly choked.

"And you can bet that if you turn this one down, the next assignment will not be nearly as glamorous as this one," Dr. Gould warned. "And it will not be negotiable."

"Do yourself—and your career—a favor," Dr. Overman added. "Don't turn it down."

"Thank you, sir," he mumbled. "I'll be in touch." He pushed to his feet and shuffled out of the office.

...~«ώ»~...

That evening when Troy got home from work, he pasted on a smile, prepared to protect Gabriella from the worry of the decision that weighed on his mind. After he had more time to think about it, he told himself, he would talk it over with her. He dropped his duffel bag and made his way to the kitchen. She was facing away from him, stirring a pot on the stove, and he sidled up behind her and slid his arms around her waist.

"Hey, beautiful," he murmured. "How was your day?"

"Fine," she sniffed.

Suspiciously, he caught her hips and turned her. Tears glistened on her cheeks, and the redness of her eyes told him that she'd been crying for awhile. Concerned, he cupped her face in his hands, swiping her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked anxiously. "Why are you crying?"

She looked up at him sadly. "I just called Mom a little while ago to invite her here for a visit, so we could tell her about the baby."

Troy made a conscious effort not to frown. "What did she say?"

"She won't come," Gabriella told him. "She said it's a bad time, and she's too busy. So I told her that maybe I could come visit her in New York before school starts…"

"I really don't think flying across the country is a good idea for you right now," he interrupted. "You're already sick enough as it is."

"I know," she answered. "I really don't _want _to fly there, but she won't come here, and I don't want to tell her I'm pregnant over the phone." She sniffed again. "But it doesn't really matter, because she doesn't want me to come visit her in New York, either."

Troy's mouth dropped open as anger began to stir inside him. "She _said _that?"

She looked up at him, and a fat tear slid down her cheek. "Not in so many words, but she made it pretty clear. She said she's working on a big project, and when it's done in a few months, she'll try to make time for a visit." The pain Gabriella felt was written all over her face, and she wrapped her arms self-consciously around her middle, the telltale posture that exposed her hurt and vulnerability. "How could she not have time for me, Troy? I'm her _daughter._ I don't understand."

"Sweetheart, your mom has put her work first for a long time," he commented, trying to keep his voice level. "It's sad for her, because she's missing out on a relationship with an amazing woman. I don't understand her, and I hate that she does this to you."

He gently pulled her arms away from her body and lifted them to rest on his shoulders, and then took her in his arms and held her. She cried against his chest while he stroked her hair, and with each passing minute, he grew angrier and angrier.

"How about if I finish dinner?" he urged. "It's a nice evening. Why don't you go sit out on the back steps and relax?"

She looked at him knowingly. "Why? So you can call Mom and yell at her for upsetting me? I don't think so."

He winced. _Busted. _"I learned last time that talking to her when I'm angry is a bad idea. I'm _going _to call her, but not until I've calmed down."

Gabriella shook her head sadly. "It won't do any good. She's never going to change. I don't know why I keep hoping she will."

Troy tilted her chin up to meet her eyes and offered her a soft smile. "Because that's who you are, sweetheart. You're fiercely loyal and fully devoted to the people you love, and I'm lucky enough to be one of those people."

"But you're just as loyal and devoted to me," she argued. "You never give me reason to doubt that you love me in return."

"Your mom loves you," he told her, choosing his words carefully. "She just… sometimes loses sight of what's really important." His hands settled on her shoulders, kneading them gently. "You are the most important part of my life, Gabriella, you and our baby. My whole world revolves around you. I hope you know that."

She smiled as her hand settled over her stomach. "I _do _know that, and I can't wait to raise this baby with you. I just…" Her head dropped as she fought fresh tears. "I want to be a good mother. What if I end up making our kids feel like my mom makes _me _feel? I couldn't bear it."

He lifted her chin once more and leaned in to kiss away the tears that shimmered at the corners of her eyes. "You are going to be a _great _mother. You won't make the same mistakes your mom has. I _know_ you won't."

"Thanks, Troy," she whispered, settling against his chest again. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart," he murmured against her hair. The impact of his statement hit him in light of the meeting he'd had with Dr. Overman that afternoon, and he frowned. He had a _lot _of thinking to do.

...~«ώ»~...

Sometime in the middle of the night, Troy awoke to find Gabriella's side of the bed vacant. He shuffled to the bathroom and pushed open the partially-closed door, but she wasn't there. Concern creased a line on his forehead, and he left the bedroom in search of her. He found her in the kitchen, sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, her head on her arms, which rested on her bent knees. He crouched down beside her, sliding an arm around her shoulders.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he asked anxiously.

She stirred and raised her head, her dark eyes sliding open to regard him dazedly.

"What…? Where am I?" She looked around in confusion.

"You're in the kitchen," he told her. "What happened? Are you okay?"

She shook her head, clearing the fog that filled it, and her mind focused. "I got up to get a drink, and I got dizzy," she remembered. "I sat on the floor to wait for the room to stop spinning, so that I wouldn't hurt myself if I fell. I must have fallen asleep."

His hand flattened on her forehead, checking for fever. "How are you feeling now?"

"Okay, I guess," she answered. "Just a little strange."

A small smile quirked the corners of his mouth. "What's _strange _is finding a beautiful pregnant woman asleep on the kitchen floor in the middle of the night."

She smiled sheepishly. "I guess that _is _a little strange."

Convinced that she was all right, Troy shook his head good-naturedly. "Sweetheart, what am I going to do with you?"

She attempted a saucy grin. "Take me back to bed?"

He chuckled. "Okay, but next time you need a drink, how about if you let me get it for you?"

"But Troy…" she started to protest, but he stopped her with a finger on her lips.

"No arguments," he said sternly. "Doctor's orders."

"Dr. Grant didn't say…" she tried again.

Troy pushed to his feet before bending over to scoop her up in his arms. "_This _doctor's orders."

She draped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. "In that case, _Doctor _Bolton, I'm all yours."


	25. Keeping Secrets

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 25—Keeping Secrets**

"Dude, you've got to take it!"

Mark and Troy were sitting in the hospital cafeteria on Saturday afternoon, and Troy had just finished telling Mark about his team physician assignment.

"It's not that easy," Troy argued. "I'm only considering it if the athletic director agrees to the modified schedule."

"Look, man, I know you don't want to be away from Gabi, but do you have any idea what an incredible opportunity this is?" Mark countered. "UCS's athletic program is ranked in the top ten in the _nation. _No high school sports program will give you the kind of experience you'll get at UCS. And the football coach—Jim Sterling—the man's a freaking legend!"

Troy pushed his lunch tray away and leaned back in his chair. "I know, it's an unbelievable opportunity, and right up until I found out where it was, I was thrilled. Now, though, I'm completely conflicted."

Mark leaned forward, eyeing his friend. "Okay, what aren't you telling me? You said your relationship with Gabi is stronger than ever, so why are you so worried about leaving her?"

Troy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I… I can't tell you."

"So basically, you want me to give you advice without all the facts," Mark replied.

"Basically, yes," Troy nodded.

"She's okay, right?" Mark asked. "I mean, after she almost fainted at our reception…"

"She's okay," Troy interrupted.

Mark settled back in his seat and tapped his fingertips together. "And you haven't talked to her about this, even though you have two days to make a decision."

"I want to figure things out before I talk to her," Troy defended.

"Okay, how about this," Mark offered. "She's been teaching at Hastings for two years, right?" Troy nodded. "Maybe she could take a semester off and go with you to UCS. Then you'd have the best of both worlds."

Troy shook his head. "That won't work. She'll be taking off part of second semester for maternity…" He realized his slip as soon as it came out, and he looked up in time to see Mark's eyes widen.

"_Maternity?_" Mark repeated. "You mean… Gabi's… _pregnant?_"

Troy's mind scrambled for a moment, trying to find a way to cover his slip, but he quickly gave up and grinned at his friend. "Yeah, she is. We found out a week ago, the night of your reception."

"You dog," Mark laughed, slapping Troy on the back. "Congratulations, man! I can't believe you've managed to keep it a secret all week!"

"We agreed to keep it quiet until we tell our parents," Troy told him. "My parents are coming out for a visit next week." He frowned. "Now you're the _third _person I've told before my folks. I had to tell Dr. Overman and Dr. Gould why I was so reluctant to take the assignment."

"Oh, it all makes sense now," Mark realized.

"Yeah," Troy nodded. "She's been pretty sick this week. I think she's handling it better than I am, but I can't imagine being a hundred miles away from her and worrying if she's eating every day, or if she's gotten dizzy and fallen, or if she's sad or scared. I feel this overwhelming need to protect and take care of her. It's hard to explain."

Mark's fingers brushed against his new wedding ring. "No, man, I get it," he said softly. He cleared his throat. "You know, though, you're not really leaving Gabi _alone_. Kelly and I will keep an eye on her, and she has friends at Hastings. She'll be okay, and you'll still be able to see her every week."

"So you think I should do it," Troy concluded.

"I think you should talk to her about it," Mark corrected. "You can't make a decision like this without her. Did you think you were just going to turn it down and never tell her?"

Troy looked down. "Maybe," he mumbled.

Mark shook his head. "You may think you're protecting her, but she deserves to be involved in the decisions in your life. She's strong. She can handle it."

"You're right," Troy nodded, biting his bottom lip. "Thanks, man."

Mark leaned back in his chair again and chuckled. "Damn. Gabi's pregnant. That means I owe Kelly fifty bucks."

Troy's eyes widened. "What?"

"Kelly has suspected it since our wedding," Mark told him. "We made a bet last Saturday night after our reception. I said Gabi was just sick from the flight, but Kelly insisted that she was right."

Troy gaped. "Do you _know _what Kelly's doing today?"

Mark frowned at the random change of subject. "Um, yeah… shopping. That's nothing new."

"Yeah, she's shopping… _with Gabriella!_" Troy retorted.

"Oh," Mark winced. "Yeah, the secret's not going to be a secret much longer."

...~«ώ»~...

Kelly Davis was on a mission. She firmly believed that her best friend was secretly pregnant, and her goal for their shopping expedition was to crack Gabriella's resolve. After they'd browsed through a few stores at the mall, Kelly checked her watch.

"It's almost lunchtime," she announced. "What sounds good? Ooh, I heard that there's a new sushi place in the food court! Doesn't that sound amazing?"

"Um… I, uh…" Gabriella stammered as her mind raced. She remembered reading a list of things pregnant women should not eat, and sushi was on that list. "I'm not really hungry yet. Let's go to a couple more stores before we stop to eat."

"Okay…" Kelly eyed her suspiciously before glancing down the row of stores. Inspiration struck, and she smiled widely. "Let's go to the candle store! I love smelling all the different scents."

Kelly could swear she saw her friend's face pale for a minute, but Gabriella recovered quickly. "Good idea! The bookstore is right next to it—I've been looking for some supplementary law texts for my class, so I can go shop in there while you sniff candles."

_Damn, _Kelly told herself. _She's good. _This was going to be harder than she thought.

...~«ώ»~...

By the time Gabriella emerged from the bookstore, purchases in hand, Kelly had found fresh inspiration. She grabbed her friend's hand and dragged her to a nearby department store, coming to a stop in the midst of a sea of formal and semi-formal dresses.

"Look, they're having a big sale on formalwear," Kelly pointed out. "Probably leftover prom dresses. We can get a great deal on gowns for the hospital's Winter Ball!" Not waiting for an answer, she began sifting through the racks, pulling out several form-fitting styles. She held up a sparkly ice-blue sheath. "What do you think of this one?"

"It's pretty," Gabriella answered.

Kelly handed it over. "Good. Try it on. It'd match Troy's eyes."

Gabriella swallowed hard as she took it from Kelly's outstretched hand. It _would _match Troy's eyes… except that by the time the Winter Ball took place, she would be more than six months pregnant, and there was no way she would fit into that dress. She eyed Kelly suspiciously. Kelly and Mark had just spent a lot of money on their wedding, reception, and honeymoon. Buying formalwear for an event that was still five months away, even if there was a good sale, seemed out of character for Kelly. Unless she was fishing for information…

"You know, Kelly, I don't think I'm going to try this on today," Gabriella nodded decisively, hanging the dress back on the rack. "We spent quite a bit of money in Hawaii, and I want to get caught up with our finances before I make a big purchase like this." She hid her smile when Kelly's face fell, strengthening her suspicion. "You're still welcome to try on dresses, though. You can give me a little fashion show."

"No, that's okay," Kelly sighed. "We have to do our dress shopping _together_, or it's no fun." A new idea formed in her mind. "Do you want to go check out the perfume counter? We could find the craziest scent and wear it for our men tonight."

Inwardly, Gabriella cringed, imagining the 'crazy' scents that would undoubtedly have her running for the bathroom. Outwardly, she smiled sweetly. "No, let's go grab some lunch. I want to get one of those yummy chicken Caesar salads."

"But what about the sushi?" Kelly argued stubbornly. "You _love _sushi!"

Gabriella shrugged. "That's the beauty of a food court—each of us can get what we want. You can have your sushi, and I'll have my salad."

...~«ώ»~...

Fifteen minutes later, Gabriella and Kelly sat in the food court, eating their lunch. Kelly raved about how good the sushi was, while Gabriella nibbled at her salad, hoping and praying that her stomach would settle down.

"You should try this, Gabi," Kelly pushed. "It's amazing."

"I'm sure it is," Gabriella answered, smiling weakly. "But no thanks."

"Come on, Gabi, I insist." Kelly held a forkful of seafood under her friend's nose, and the control Gabriella had been fighting for crumbled. Shoving her chair back, she covered her mouth and ran. Kelly watched her friend's retreat in shock before grabbing their belongings and following her.

...~«ώ»~...

When Gabriella emerged from the bathroom stall a few minutes later, Kelly was waiting for her, smiling sheepishly. Gabriella stepped around her and went to the faucet, turning on the water and cupping her hands to get a drink. Kelly felt even worse when she saw that Gabriella's hands were shaking.

"I'm so sorry, Gabi," Kelly began. "I had no idea you would get sick. I was just trying to get you to admit that you're pregnant."

Gabriella looked up from the sink. "Wouldn't it have been easier just to _ask_ instead of putting me through all this?"

Kelly looked down, ashamed. "I didn't think you'd tell me, so I was trying to break you down," she said softly. "But you are, aren't you?"

Gabriella straightened and walked to the paper towel dispenser to dry her hands. She looked down, seeming to concentrate on making sure her hands were dry, and Kelly fidgeted, bracing for the angry tirade she knew she deserved. When Gabriella looked up, she fixed Kelly with a hard stare. _Here it comes, _Kelly told herself. And then Gabriella's face broke into a bright smile, and she nodded happily.

Kelly shrieked with relief and happiness. "Oh my gosh, you're really pregnant! That's so amazing! How far along? When did you find out? When are you due? I'm _so _happy for you!" She surged forward and pulled her friend into a tight hug.

Gabriella laughed. "I'm five weeks along, so you were right, I _was _pregnant in Hawaii, although we didn't find out until we got back. I'm due at the end of February."

"Ha! I was right!" She held her friend at arms' length. "Are you still feeling sick, or is it better now?"

"You mean now that you're not shoving sushi under my nose?" Gabriella asked pointedly.

Kelly blushed. "I'm really sorry, Gabi." She grinned. "I clearly underestimated your abilities. You should take up poker or work for the government or something."

Gabriella giggled. "I'm a lawyer, remember? A good poker face is pretty important in my profession. How did you figure it out? The pregnancy, I mean."

"Spotting symptoms is pretty important in _my _profession," Kelly answered. "Throw in my experience working at a women's clinic, and there you go." She glanced around. "Come on, let's get out of here."

They walked out of the bathroom arm-in-arm and sat back down at their table. Kelly quickly disposed of their half-eaten food and returned to the table, grinning widely. "How do you feel? Are you excited? Oh, Troy must be thrilled!"

Gabriella smiled back. "He is. He's been so wonderful with me this week, taking care of me when I get sick and making sure I don't overexert myself. He's going to be an amazing father."

"Yeah, he is," Kelly agreed. "And you're going to be a wonderful mother. Have you told your parents yet?"

"No," Gabriella replied, and Kelly noticed how her smile faltered. "Jack and Lucille are coming to visit next week, so we'll get to tell them in person. I'm… not sure when we'll tell my mom. I tried to talk her into visiting, but she said she's too busy."

Kelly's hand slid across the table to grasp her friend's.

"We planned to tell our parents about the baby first," Gabriella went on. "That's why we hadn't told you and Mark yet."

"Oh, Gabi, I'm so sorry," Kelly frowned. "I didn't even think about that."

"It's okay," Gabriella told her. "It's nice to have it out in the open."

Kelly patted her friend's hand. "Do you need a rest, or are you up for some more power shopping?"

Gabriella giggled. "As long as you don't try to make me smell things, eat things, or try on clothes I won't be able to fit into soon, I'm in."

"Deal," Kelly grinned.

...~«ώ»~...

Later that evening, the girls sat in a booth at one of their favorite restaurants, waiting for their husbands to join them after work.

"Mark just texted me," Kelly reported, glancing at her phone. "He wants to know if I managed to break you."

Gabriella laughed as her phone vibrated. She looked at the screen and grinned. "Troy just texted me. He says he accidentally told Mark about the baby, and he hopes I'm not mad at him."

Kelly leaned forward conspiratorially. "Gabi, are you up for a little fun at our men's expense?"

"Always," Gabriella answered. "What do you have in mind?"

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy and Mark walked in ten minutes later, Kelly was sitting alone, stirring her drink morosely.

"Hey, Kel," Mark greeted, kissing her on the cheek. "Where's Gabi?"

"Bathroom," Kelly sighed. "She was fine until about ten minutes ago… She got a text and started crying. I tried to get her to tell me what was going on, but she just kept saying that everything was ruined."

Troy looked around, mortified. "Kelly, could you go get her, please? I _really_ need to talk to her."

"I really don't think she wants to talk to _you_ right now," Kelly said accusingly before turning her attention to her husband. "And you! Why would you ask me if I've 'broken' one of my dearest friends?"

Mark tugged uncomfortably at his collar. "Well, um… you said that… um… You were going to try to get her to tell you that she's pregnant."

"Well, I didn't," Kelly huffed.

Mark threw up his hands in disgust. "Unbelievable! I've lost two bets in one day!"

"What bets?" Kelly demanded.

"I bet Troy that you would get Gabi to tell you the truth. She_ is_ pregnant," Mark confessed meekly.

Kelly's eyes widened. "Gabi's _pregnant_? Oh my gosh, I can't believe she didn't tell me! I asked her point-blank and she denied it! What kind of friend would _do_ something like that?"

"Something like what?" Gabriella asked timidly as she approached from behind. Troy, who'd been frozen in shock, surged forward to take her hand. She shook him off.

"Deny that you're pregnant," Kelly answered angrily. "I can't believe you lied to me! I thought we were friends!"

Mark gaped between the women when Gabriella suddenly turned on Troy. "You told _her_ too? First Mark, and now Kelly? Do I get to tell _anyone _about this? Maybe you should just get on the restaurant intercom and announce it to everyone here!"

"Baby, I'm so sorry," Troy stammered. "Please, calm down. I didn't mean for any of this to happen… "

"Well, at least _he _cares enough to tell his _friends _about some of the biggest news of your lives," Kelly spat, lunging toward Gabriella. Troy stepped between them, instinctively protecting his wife, as Mark grabbed Kelly's arms and hauled her back into the booth.

"Kel, you're making a scene," Mark hissed. "You need to calm down before we get thrown out of here."

Kelly whirled to face him. "I just have one thing to say to you, Mark Davis." She reached over and pinched his cheek. "Gotcha!" She burst into laughter, and Gabriella joined in, looking up at Troy's shocked face. The men were dumbfounded, not understanding the sudden turn of events. Troy recovered first.

"Wait, you mean… that whole time…" He looked down at Gabriella, who was laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face. "You set us up!"

"Yes, we did," Kelly agreed proudly. "It was a brilliant plan, executed to perfection!" She gave Gabriella a high five and beamed at the two men. Troy was so relieved that Gabriella wasn't mad at him that he soon joined in their laughter.

"I can't believe you," Mark spoke up indignantly. "That was so mean!"

Kelly ruffled his hair as if he was a child. "Oh, get over it and give Gabi a hug. She's having a baby!"

Reluctantly Mark stood and pulled Gabriella into a hug while Kelly embraced Troy. When they separated, they returned to their seats. Troy pulled Gabriella into his side and kissed her forehead, beaming happily. Mark, who was still sulking, kept his distance from his wife.

"So what did you two lovely ladies do today, _besides _concocting evil plots against us?" Troy asked good-naturedly.

Kelly winked at Gabriella. "Well, after I found out that Gabi's pregnant, we redirected our shopping energy to look for maternity clothes."

"Aha!" Mark suddenly perked up. "So she _did _tell you about the baby!" He looked triumphantly at Troy. "_I _win the bet!"

Kelly halted his celebration. "Gabi didn't tell me. Her queasy stomach did."

Troy shot a concerned look at his wife, but she waved him off. "I'm fine, Troy," she assured him before grinning at Kelly. "As long as no one's waving seafood in my face, that is."

The women laughed again as the waiter arrived. After their orders were placed, they settled back in their seats. As the couples talked and waited for their dinners, Kelly admired Troy's tender affection towards his wife. He was in constant contact with Gabriella, holding her hand, rubbing her back, dropping feather-light kisses on her temple.

"I'll be right back," Gabriella suddenly announced, sliding toward the edge of the booth.

Troy frowned. "Stomach?"

"Bladder," she answered with a wink toward Kelly. Troy appreciatively watched the sway of her hips as she walked away, and when he turned back to his friends, Kelly was beaming at him.

"You two are like newlyweds," she smiled. "It's adorable."

"Hey, aren't we supposed to be saying that to you?" he teased.

"Gabi told me how much the trip to Hawaii strengthened your relationship," Kelly went on. "I'm really happy for you. And now you're going to be a father!"

Troy grinned impishly. "I know! It's incredible. There's something so… primal… about knowing you've impregnated a woman. I feel more… I don't know, manly? ...than ever before."

"Dude, if you start walking around beating your chest like an ape, I swear I'll kick your ass," Mark warned.

"How's Gabi doing?" Kelly deftly changed the subject. "I mean, with the morning sickness and stuff. She said it's been pretty rough."

"Yeah," Troy answered, deflating a bit. "I worry about her, more than usual, and I feel terrible that she's the one who has to suffer for something we both want. But she's so excited, so happy about the baby, she says she'll take the morning sickness without complaint."

"She's strong," Kelly commented. "She doesn't think she is, but she is one of the strongest women I know."

"Yeah," Troy nodded. "And she's just glowing. I don't think she's ever looked more beautiful than she does now that she's pregnant." His grin widened. "'My wife is pregnant.' I never get tired of saying that! Gabriella and I are going to have a baby!"

Kelly laughed, delighted by her friend's excitement. Mark shook his head, mumbling something about Troy going off the deep end, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as well. They, better than anyone else, knew what this pregnancy meant to their friends. They'd witnessed the pain and heartache and uncertainty, and now they celebrated the good news.

When Gabriella returned to the table, she eyed the others warily. "Why are you all smiling at me? Do I have something on my face?"

"My wife and your husband were getting all sappy, and I was trying not to hurl," Mark reported with a wink.

Kelly slapped his arm playfully before looking back at Gabriella. "We were just talking about you and the baby and how exciting it is!"

Gabriella smiled, relieved, as she slid back into the booth and snuggled against her husband. "Well, since we're already talking about it, how about if you guys help us come up with a creative way to tell Jack and Lucille?"

Kelly bounced excitedly in her seat, and even Mark perked up. "Ooh, it has to involve basketball!" he insisted.

Kelly stared at him incredulously. "What on _earth _do basketballs and babies have in common?"

Troy grinned. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. Not a bad idea at all."

...~«ώ»~...

On the way home from the restaurant, Troy and Gabriella chatted excitedly about the plan they'd put together with their friends to tell Troy's parents about the baby.

When the conversation lulled, Troy cleared his throat nervously. "Um, Gabriella, there's… uh… something I need to talk to you about."

She looked at him curiously. "Okay…"

"I met with Dr. Overman yesterday about my team physician assignment, and, um…" Troy checked his mirrors before turning onto their street. "He offered me an assignment with a college football team."

Gabriella's mouth dropped open. "Wow, Troy, that's incredible! I thought they usually assigned residents to high school programs. Is this a special assignment just for you?"

"Sort of," he admitted, holding up his hand to halt her exclamations. "Hold on, I need to tell you the rest. See, it's kind of a last-minute deal, because the team's physician was fired. They're looking for a permanent replacement, but in the meantime, Dr. Overman convinced his friend, who's the athletic director there, to use a resident in sports medicine. He chose me for the assignment." He turned into the driveway and shut off the engine before turning to face her in the semi-darkness. "It's a _huge _honor, and an unbelievable opportunity." He swallowed down the lump in his throat. "And it's in Sacramento."

Gabriella's eyes widened, but she didn't immediately say anything. Troy's heart pounded as he waited for her reaction. Finally, she drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Let's go in the house and finish our talk there," she suggested.

He nodded and quickly darted around the car to help her out. She took his arm to climb the porch steps and stood quietly beside him as he unlocked the front door and pushed it open. He led her over to the couch and prepared to sit, but she leaned into him, weaving her arms around his waist.

"I'm so proud of you, Troy," she murmured against his chest. "You've worked really hard to earn this. I'll set up a meeting with the dean at Hastings to see if I can take off both semesters and still keep my job."

Troy couldn't have predicted how she'd react, but her concession surprised him. "No, no... I didn't mean... I don't expect you to jeopardize your job because of this. It's only a temporary assignment. I figured that you would stay here while I'm in Sacramento."

She didn't respond, and after a few moments, he held her upper arms and eased her away from his body, concerned to see tears glistening in her eyes. She swiped at them self-consciously, and he pulled her down to sit next to him on the couch.

"Sweetheart, talk to me," he urged. "Tell me what you think. Please don't be upset. I don't have to accept the assignment."

She sniffed, glanced down to gather herself, and then looked up at him resolutely. "Of course you're going to accept it, Troy. It's an amazing opportunity for you, for your career. We'll make it work." Her hands wrung together nervously in her lap, and when she spoke again, her voice was quiet. "How long will you be gone? The whole semester, or just during football season?"

Troy opened his mouth to answer, and suddenly realized that he hadn't told her about the modified schedule. He covered her hands to still them. "Oh, no, no, baby, I won't be gone all the time! I could _never _be away from you that long. Dr. Overman got the athletic director to agree to a modified schedule, so I'll in Sacramento four days a week, and home three. Actually, four nights. I'll leave on Wednesday mornings after you go to work, and then come home Saturday nights after the games. _If _I accept the assignment."

Gabriella looked up at him, relief evident on her face. "So you won't be gone full-time for three or four months?" He shook his head. "I'm so glad. I don't know how I would've made it all that time without you."

His eyebrows creased. "But you said I should take it _before _I told you it wasn't full-time."

She shrugged. "I can't hold you back. It's a great opportunity for you. I know how competitive sports medicine is. When you get an offer like that, you take it."

"It's not quite that simple when you have a pregnant wife at home," he argued, tracing his fingertips across her belly. "You come first, Gabriella. You and the baby. I've criticized your mom for choosing her career over you, and now I'm faced with the same choice."

She touched his face. "It's not the same thing, Troy. First, because you're talking to me about it. Second, because you're doing this not just to help your career, but to make a better life for your family. With something like this on your résumé, you'll have a big advantage when you finish senior residency. And that benefits all of us." She tilted her head to study him. "Was it originally a four-days-on/three-days-off schedule?"

Troy shook his head. "It _was _full-time, and I turned it down. Dr. Gould suggested the modified schedule."

"Why did you turn it down when it was full-time?" she pressed.

He looked at her earnestly. "Because I can't be away from you that long, and I couldn't ask you to put your job at risk by going with me. So I would miss several months of your pregnancy, your doctor appointments, your ultrasounds… And I need to take care of you, to make sure you're okay. If you needed me and I was a hundred miles away, it would kill me."

Gabriella nodded. "_That's _what makes you different from my mom. You're willing to walk away from this amazing opportunity because of me, and I love you for that. But I also love you too much to _let _you walk away from it. Do you remember when I was accepted to the Freshman Honors Program at Stanford? I wanted to turn it down, to defer my enrollment so I could stay in Albuquerque with you. What did you tell me then?"

"I told you not to give up on your dream," he answered softly. "It broke my heart to think about you being so far away, but I couldn't let you walk away from an opportunity like Stanford. That was one of the hardest times in my life."

She scooted closer to him, taking his hands in hers. "Mine too. Back then, we'd made no promises to one another. We hadn't even said 'I love you' at that point, and we were faced with a thousand miles of distance between us." She released his hand to caress his stubbly cheek. His head tilted into her palm. "It's different now, Troy. We're married. We're having a baby together. We're committed to one another for life. So a few months and hundred miles don't seem so bad."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She nodded. "If I'd walked away from Stanford to stay with you, I would've been happy… but I always would've wondered what I'd missed out on. And if you walk away from this assignment, you'll always wonder. I can't hold you back like that." She smiled up at him. "Think of this as my way of repaying you for telling me to go to Stanford."

Troy pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "You've already repaid me many times over," he said in her ear. "I'd say things turned out just fine, for_ both_ of us. And these days, I'm not afraid to tell you how very much I love you." Testing the waters, he nipped the shell of her ear with his teeth, grinning when she shuddered with arousal. "How are you feeling tonight, sweetheart?"

Gabriella pulled back to look at him, her eyes full of passion. "Hot and bothered," she answered boldly. "_Somebody _kept touching me under the table at the restaurant."

He tried his best to look innocent. "Somebody who couldn't stop thinking about his wife's beautiful body and how much he wanted to be on top of her, naked?"

She smiled saucily. "Yep, that sounds about right. Luckily for you, you brought home a woman who's anxious to _get _naked."

"I've always had good taste like that," he teased.

They kissed on the couch for several more minutes, and then Troy swept her up in his arms and carried her to their bedroom.

...~«ώ»~...

The days passed quickly as Troy and Gabriella prepared for Jack and Lucille's visit, and Troy decided to make one last attempt to persuade Maria to join them. He could see how much Maria's indifference bothered Gabriella, even though she tried to keep it to herself. Five days after the phone call that had upset Gabriella so much, Troy dialed his mother-in-law's number on his way home from work. When she answered, she sounded out of breath.

"Troy," she said. "What's going on? Is everything all right there?"

He frowned. "I'm sorry, did I catch you in the middle of something? I can call back later."

"No, it's okay," she answered. "Is Gabi okay? She's not sick, is she?"

"She's fine, Maria," Troy assured her. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about coming here for a visit."

Maria let out a long sigh. "Troy, I went through this with Gabi. It's not a good time right now."

"When _is _a good time then?" he pushed. "She said you don't want her to come there for a visit either. Do you have any idea how much that hurt her? You and Gabriella used to be so close. What could _possibly_ be more important than spending time with your daughter? She needs you to be a part of her life, Maria."

Troy expected Maria to react angrily, as she had when they'd talked in Albuquerque. Instead, she broke down. Deep sobs vibrated across the phone line, and Troy listened in shock. He tried to find words to comfort her, but he was completely speechless. After several torturous minutes, she began to calm. He heard her put down the phone to blow her nose, and then she came back on the line.

"Troy, I have to tell you something," Maria began. "But I need your word that you won't tell Gabi, at least not yet."

"I'm not sure I can make that promise," Troy returned. "I don't like keeping secrets from her."

"I don't either, but I think it's in her best interest right now," Maria answered. "I've kept it to myself for months, and I need to talk to someone." She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I have cancer, Troy."

Troy's stomach dropped to his feet. Quickly he signaled and pulled off the road, not trusting himself to drive at that moment. Questions flooded his mind, and for a few moments, he couldn't articulate any of them. Finally, he forced words out. "Where? When?"

"Papillary thyroid cancer," she answered softly. "I was diagnosed in April. There was a lump in one of the lymph nodes in my neck, and my doctor ran tests and found a nodule in the right lobe of my thyroid." She sighed. "I didn't want to tell Gabi over the phone, especially when she was going through such serious health problems of her own. I went to Albuquerque the weekend of the reunion to tell her, but when I saw her that night, I just couldn't. She looked so tired and thin—I was worried about her. Is she doing better now?"

Troy measured his words carefully. It wasn't his place to tell his mother-in-law about her daughter's pregnancy. "She's fully recovered from surgery, if that's what you're asking. What about you, though? What's your prognosis? Thyroid cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer if it's caught early."

"That's what my doctors tell me," she agreed. "I had surgery at the end of April to remove my thyroid and a couple of lymph nodes, coincidentally the same day as Gabi's surgery. I didn't get your message about Gabi until I got home from the hospital."

"You told her you'd been in London," Troy remembered.

"I could barely talk after surgery," Maria explained. "I had to have a reason for not calling back right away."

"And what's your status now?" Troy asked. "Are you still receiving treatment?"

"I started radioactive iodine therapy last week," she told him. "It's a standard follow-up treatment for more aggressive tumors, but as I'm sure you know, it requires a couple weeks of isolation to prevent radiation exposure to others. _That's _why I can't visit, and why I can't let Gabi visit me."

Troy scrubbed his hands over his face. "Dear God, Maria, why didn't you tell us? Gabriella would have wanted to be there with you. You can't keep this from her. You _have _to tell her. She has a right to know."

"I _will _tell her," Maria insisted. "But not yet." Troy heard tearful tremors return to her voice. "I'm thinking of my daughter, Troy. She witnessed her father's deterioration, and it nearly destroyed her. Gabriella has been through so much. I want to protect her, and if I tell her about this now, she'll fall apart. Please, just let me wait a few more weeks. Once I finish my treatment and get a clean bill of health, then I can come for a visit, and Gabi can see for herself that I'm okay." She sniffed. "I'm sorry to put you in such a bad spot, keeping secrets from her, but I couldn't have you thinking that I'm a terrible mother any longer."

"I've never said you were a terrible mother," he argued. "I can appreciate your desire to protect Gabriella, but she's going to be upset no matter when or how you tell her, because she loves you. We both do. You shouldn't have to go through this alone."

"Thank you, Troy," she answered. "I appreciate that. But soon it'll be over, and then no more secrets. It'll feel good to get everything out in the open."

"Call me if you need anything," Troy insisted. "You're not alone anymore."

"Thank you," she repeated. "That means a lot to me. Take good care of my daughter."

Troy's throat burned as he promised to care for Gabriella and then hung up. He thought about the secret he'd kept from Maria, and now, the secret he had to keep from Gabriella. Maria was right—If Gabriella found out about her mother's treatment, she would insist on flying to New York to be with her. In her condition, exposure to radiation would be dangerous for her and the baby. '_Take good care of my daughter,'_ Maria had said. And Troy knew there was no other option.


	26. Fireworks

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 26—Fireworks**

Troy was still shaken by Maria's cancer confession as he drove into his neighborhood. His mood was sullen, and he barely paid attention to his surroundings as he approached the house. His breath caught as he saw Gabriella up on a ladder, washing windows on the side of the house. Their house was one-story, but the height of the windows and the landscaping below them made a ladder necessary. Troy skidded into the driveway and dashed out of the car.

"What are you doing?" he demanded from the base of the ladder.

She looked down at him, confused. "I'm washing the windows. I was cleaning the guest room and noticed how dirty they were. Why? What's wrong?"

"What's _wrong_? Well, for starters, you're pregnant and shouldn't be up on a ladder," he argued. "Besides that, it's like 95 degrees out here, and you're working in direct sunlight. You could get heat exhaustion or sun poisoning or dehydration…"

Gabriella calmly dropped her cleaning rag into the bucket of soapy water she had hooked on the top of the ladder and started to climb down. Troy rushed forward to steady the ladder, and as she neared the ground, he placed a supportive hand on her back. When she was safe on the ground, she turned to regard Troy curiously.

She touched his face, noting the agitation there. "I'm okay, Troy," she said lightly. "You worry too much."

He captured her wrist and glared at her. "Well, _somebody _has to. What do you think you're doing, climbing a ladder when you're home alone? You could fall, and no one would be around to help you."

She frowned and reached into the pocket of her cutoffs to pull out her phone. "If I fell, all I would have to do is call for help. Are you okay? I don't understand why you're getting so upset about this."

Troy could feel himself losing control. His emotions were on overdrive, and it seemed like Gabriella was brushing off his concerns. "How am I supposed to go to Sacramento and do my job when I'm constantly worried that you're going to do something careless like this? That's _my _baby you're supposed to be taking care of."

Hurt flickered across her face even as her eyes flared with anger. "I am a grown woman, Troy Bolton! I don't need you hovering over me like an overprotective parent. And you don't need to worry—I'll take good care of _your _baby for you."

With that, she turned and stormed away from him. Troy heard the back door slam, and he sank to the ground and dropped his head into his hands. He knew he'd overreacted, but he couldn't bring himself to face her again until he calmed down. He looked at his hands and saw that they were shaking. He realized that he wasn't angry at Gabriella; he was truly worried about her. Worried about her health. Worried how she'd handle their looming separation. Worried how she'd react to the news of her mother's cancer. The last thought brought his anger back to the surface. How could Maria tell him something like that and expect him to keep it from his wife? Gabriella would be devastated when she found out. Troy's mind felt like it was about to explode like a firecracker. What if Maria didn't tell her daughter the news until after he'd left for Sacramento? He couldn't allow Gabriella to process such difficult news on her own. He shook his head, trying to clear it. When had life gotten so complicated?

Troy sat there, lost in thought, for several minutes. When he pushed to his feet, he climbed the ladder and finished the window Gabriella had been working on. Then he moved the ladder and cleaned the rest of the windows on that side of the house. As he worked, he mentally rehearsed his apology. By the time he climbed down and dumped the bucket of dirty water, he felt calmer. Rounding the back of the house, he opened the back door. Gabriella had apparently been working in the kitchen; his gaze took in the pot of boiling water on the stove, the vegetables lined up on the counter next to a kitchen knife… He frowned, circling the island for a closer look. Several pieces of a cucumber were scattered on the floor. Red spots dotted the counter among the diced cucumber, and Troy was horrified to see that the knife was streaked with blood.

"Gabriella!" he shouted, running through the house in a frantic search for her. He found her sitting on the floor in their bathroom with a bloody towel wrapped around her left hand.

"I c-cut my hand," she whispered. Her skin was ghostly white, and her face was stained with tears. "It w-won't stop b-bleeding."

Troy dropped to his knees beside her and pulled her hand into his lap. Carefully, he unwrapped the towel to survey the damage. A nearly two-inch laceration lay open from the base of her thumb to her wrist. It wasn't terribly deep, but it was bleeding badly. His medical training instantly took over and he worked quickly and quietly. He pulled a first aid kit from under the sink and ripped open a package of gauze. Gabriella gasped in pain when he applied firm pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. Her head lolled back against the wall behind her and her eyes fluttered shut.

"Hey, stay with me," he ordered sharply. "Gabriella!"

She opened her eyes to look at him, her fear evident, as he lifted her arm over her head to slow the bleeding. He noticed that her hair was damp, and guessed that she'd taken a quick shower before starting dinner.

Troy forced his voice to soften. "Listen to me. You're going to be okay. There are a lot of blood vessels in your hand—that's why it's bleeding so much. But it'll be all right."

"It hurts," she whimpered.

"I know, baby," he soothed. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"The knife slipped," she said softly. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Why didn't you come get me?" he asked.

Her head dropped. "I thought I could just put a bandage on it and it would be okay." Fresh tears moistened her eyelashes. "And I didn't want to make you mad because I was… c-careless," she stuttered.

Troy wished he could take her in his arms, or at least brush the tears from her cheeks, but he couldn't release the pressure on her wound. "Gabriella, look at me." He waited until she did so, and then gave her a sad smile. "I'm not mad at you. Accidents happen, sweetheart. And I'm sorry. I said things to you outside that I didn't mean, and I wish I could take them back. I had a stressful afternoon, but that's no excuse. I was a jerk, and I'm really sorry."

She dropped her head again. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I was just trying to get things ready for your parents' visit. I didn't mean to be careless with the… your… baby."

He winced. "_Our _baby. I should never have said what I said. I need to start letting you trust your instincts. I just want to protect you. _Both_ of you." He leaned in to kiss her gently. "I'm going to go get my medical bag. Can you hold your arm up like this until I get back?"

She nodded, and he was back in less than thirty seconds. When he returned, he lowered her arm to inspect the wound again.

"I think it's going to need a few stitches," he told her. "I'd better take you to the hospital."

"You do it," she replied softly.

"It's going to hurt," he warned.

"It'll hurt either way," she reasoned. "Just do it, Troy. I trust you."

Gabriella held the gauze on her hand while Troy laid out his supplies and pulled a clean towel from the linen closet. He washed his hands carefully, and then pulled on a pair of gloves. When he dropped to his knees by her side once again, he laid the clean towel on her lap and picked up a bottle of peroxide.

"I need to clean out the wound so it doesn't get infected. This is going to sting pretty badly for a few seconds. Brace yourself."

She squeezed her eyes shut, and when the peroxide bubbled and fizzed into her skin, she let out an agonized cry and tried to jerk her hand away. Troy cringed, but held her firmly. Next he sprayed anesthetic numbing spray around the wound. Gabriella opened her eyes just in time to see the suture needle puncture her skin, and she dove forward to heave into the toilet. He waited, holding her hand and resisting the urge to pull her hair back with his sterile gloves.

"Don't look," he instructed when she resettled against the wall, panting. "It'll be over soon."

He quickly sewed a neat line of five stitches and tied off the suture, and then covered the closed wound with gauze and bandaged it quickly. After he'd disposed of the bloody supplies and snapped off his gloves, he finally did what he'd wanted to do since he'd found her on the bathroom floor—He pulled her into his lap and held her tight. She clung to him, and he stroked her hair tenderly.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," he whispered, and Gabriella knew he wasn't just talking about her hand.

"I know," she answered against his chest. "I love you, Troy."

"I love you too," he told her. "I'm going to go finish dinner, and I'd like for you to lie down and rest for a little while, all right?"

"Okay," she answered. She didn't know what had set Troy off when he'd first gotten home, but her Troy, the tender, gentle man she loved, was back, and for the moment, that was enough for her.

...~«ώ»~...

By the time Jack and Lucille flew in on Saturday afternoon, Gabriella's hand was healing nicely. She and Troy met his parents at the airport, and Lucille hugged them enthusiastically.

"What a beautiful bracelet," Lucille exclaimed, taking hold of her daughter-in-law's right hand. "Did my son get you that?"

"He did," Gabriella grinned. "It was his anniversary gift for me. Well, that and the trip to Hawaii."

Lucille laughed and ran her fingers over the small charms. "What do these words mean?"

Gabriella started to answer before she remembered the _'Mother' _charm Troy had added after they'd learned about the pregnancy. She looked at Troy, wide-eyed, and he calmly covered for her.

"It's classified information, Mom," he teased, winking at his wife. "We could tell you, but then we'd have to kill you."

"What happened to your hand?" Jack asked, pointing to the row of stitches on Gabriella's left hand.

"I cut it with a kitchen knife," Gabriella told them. "Troy stitched it up for me. Being married to a surgeon has its benefits."

Lucille gently lifted Gabriella's hand and examined it. "Excellent work, son," she bragged. He grinned at the compliment.

They started walking toward the exit, and Jack wondered aloud about their plans for the rest of the day. "We could do some sightseeing, and then go to a nice restaurant for dinner," he suggested.

Troy squeezed Gabriella's hand. "I just got off work, so I'm ready for some relaxation. And Gabriella is cooking a special dinner tonight."

"Oh?" Lucille paused suspiciously. "What's the special occasion?"

"Your visit, of course," Gabriella answered smoothly. "It's been more than six months since you've been to San Francisco, so a little celebration is in order."

"Do you have your menu planned yet?" Lucille pressed. "We could stop by Fisherman's Wharf and buy some fresh fish. That's one of my favorite things about coming to San Francisco… besides seeing you two, of course!"

Gabriella had to fight the urge to gag. Seafood was one of a number of smells that her weak stomach couldn't tolerate. Even the memory of the strong smells at the wharf nearly did her in. Troy's arm snaked around her waist and pulled her into his side.

"Hang in there, sweetheart," he murmured softly enough that only she would hear. "Just a few more hours, and then it'll all be out in the open."

Gabriella nodded mutely, hoping with all her might that they could hold Lucille off that long. It was going to be a tricky afternoon.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy managed to convince Lucille not to go the fish market that evening, and Gabriella was able to cook and eat dinner without getting sick. The foursome talked and laughed around the Boltons' dining room table, even after their meals were finished and the dishes were cleared.

"Dad, I have a belated Father's Day present for you," Troy suddenly announced, pushing to his feet and squeezing Gabriella's shoulder as he passed her. He retrieved the wrapped package from the bedroom and laid it on the table in front of Jack before returning to his seat. Under the table he took Gabriella's hand and squeezed it, and she smiled happily at him before returning her attention to her father-in-law.

Jack looked at them, confused. "You already got me Giants tickets for Father's Day," he reminded Troy. He picked up the package and tested the weight. "Hmm," he pondered. "Too heavy to be a tie."

Troy rolled his eyes at the long-running joke. "Dad, I haven't gotten you a tie since I was five!"

"And what a nice tie it was." Jack winked at Gabriella. "He colored it himself."

She forced a small laugh. She'd heard the story many times through the years, and she was distracted by the contents of the package.

"For heaven's sake, Jack, just open it," Lucille told him.

Obediently he tore through the wrapping and carefully lifted the lid off the box. He pulled back the tissue paper and found himself staring into the face of his younger self. It was a framed photo from his senior year at East High, and he wore his basketball uniform, emblazoned with #21.

"How did you get this?" he asked.

"Mom sent it to me," Troy answered, nodding toward the box. "There's more."

Jack lifted out another frame and turned it over. The second photo was from Troy's senior year. His pose was nearly identical to the first photo, and like in Jack's photo, Troy held a basketball. He wore his East High uniform as well, though the style was more up-to-date, and his was #14. Jack held the two photos side by side and grinned.

"Quite a legacy, Son," he said proudly. He handed the frames to Lucille and dug back into the tissue paper to find a third frame. "This one's empty," he pointed out, frowning with confusion. He lifted it and found underneath it a small bundle wrapped in tissue and tied with a red ribbon. Lucille's eyes widened as she realized what the empty frame signified, and she bit her lip excitedly, waiting for Jack to figure it out. He unwrapped the bundle and pulled out a tiny East High basketball jersey. Lucille covered her mouth with her hands, about to burst. Jack's eyebrows furrowed as he turned it to read the back of the jersey. It said "Bolton" above a white #7.

"Number seven?" Jack asked. "Who's that?"

Lucille smacked his arm. "It's a good thing you don't teach math, Jack. You were number 21. Troy was number 14. And the next generation…" She looked over to Troy and Gabriella for confirmation, and they grinned in acknowledgment. "The next generation will be number 7."

Jack looked from Lucille to his son and daughter-in-law. "You mean… you're… I mean, you're going to… you're…"

"Pregnant," Troy finished for him, beaming across the table at them as his arm slid around Gabriella's shoulders. "We're expecting a baby, Dad. You and Mom are going to be grandparents."

Lucille shrieked and stood up to dash around the table. Troy stood into his mother's arms, and she hugged him gleefully. Gabriella stood as well, and Lucille pulled her into a tight embrace. When they separated, both women's eyes were wet with tears. Troy looked across the table at his father, who was grinning broadly as he traced the stitching on the tiny basketball uniform.

"A baby," Jack said to himself, his voice full of wonder. "Imagine that."

"Now, Dad, we don't know if it's a boy or a girl, so you may have to hang onto that jersey for awhile," Troy pointed out.

"Doesn't matter," Jack replied, his voice rough. "Either way, it's a dream come true." He looked up at Troy. "Congratulations, Son. You're going to make a terrific father."

Troy darted around the table when Jack stood, and they embraced firmly. "I don't know, Dad, you set the bar pretty high," Troy replied.

Lucille held Gabriella's hands and beamed. "How far along?" she asked.

"Six weeks," Gabriella answered, smiling across the table at Troy. "I'm due at the end of February."

"I'm so happy for you two!" Lucille squealed. "How are you feeling? Have you been sick?"

"Dreadfully," Troy answered for her. "She'll tell you it's no big deal, but she's had a pretty rough time."

Lucille looked back at Gabriella sympathetically. "Oh, honey, no wonder you look so thin. I was worried that there was something wrong with you."

"Nothing a few months won't take care of," Gabriella quipped.

"Okay, new plan," Lucille announced, draping her arm around her daughter-in-law's shoulders. "Tomorrow, while those two are at the Giants game, you and I are going to the spa for a day of pampering. My treat."

"Oh, but Lucille…" Gabriella started to protest.

"No arguments, dear," Lucille interrupted. "Lesson number one for expectant mothers: Sometimes you need to put yourself first and submit to some spoiling. Once the baby comes, you won't have much time for yourself, so you need to enjoy it now."

Gabriella looked at Troy imploringly, but he nodded in agreement with his mother. "I think it's a great idea, sweetheart. You deserve some primping and pampering."

"You certainly do," Lucille reiterated. She winked across the table at the men. "And if you refuse, I just might have to take you to the fish market after all."

Gabriella made a face and finally gave in. "Primping and pampering it is!"

...~«ώ»~...

Late that evening, Troy and his parents sat outside to enjoy the cool evening. Gabriella had run out of steam after all the excitement, and had reluctantly gone to bed.

"I still can't believe it," Lucille exclaimed. "My baby's having a baby!"

Troy rolled his eyes as Jack chuckled. "Mom, I haven't been your 'baby' for a long time."

"You'll _always _be my baby," she insisted. "And someday soon, you'll understand what I mean."

"Is it normal for Gabriella to be so tired and sick?" Jack asked fretfully, glancing toward the back door.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Troy answered. "It's hard to see her having such a hard time with it, but she never complains. I worry about her a lot, though." He dropped his head and stared into his half-consumed glass of lemonade. "I yelled at her the other day."

"What for?" Lucille asked calmly.

"I came home from work and she was up on a ladder, washing windows," Troy answered. "I… had a lot on my mind, and all I could think about was all the ways she could get hurt."

"She's been through a lot, Troy," Lucille replied. "You both have, and I'd say that has a lot to do with why you're so protective of her. And now that she's pregnant, you can't help but worry. I know you _like _taking care of her, but she _is _capable of taking care of herself."

"I hope so," Troy said. "It's going to be hard to be away from her when I go to Sacramento."

"It's an incredible opportunity for you, Son," Jack told him. "Gabriella knows that, and she seems to support your decision."

"I know," Troy replied. "I wouldn't have agreed to it if she hadn't. But I'm torn between excitement and anxiety. And I don't ever want her to think that I'm choosing my job over her."

"Like Maria," Lucille said knowingly. Troy looked up in surprise. "I asked about her mom while we were making dinner, and she told me that Maria doesn't have time for her anymore. She seemed pretty angry about it."

"Getting angry at her mom is easier than admitting how much it hurts when Maria puts her second," Troy commented. "She has no idea…" He trailed off and looked earnestly between his parents. "Mom, Dad, can I tell you something? I really need to talk about it, but Gabriella can't find out. Not yet." They nodded, and he cleared his throat before continuing. "I called Maria the other day to try to convince her to come for a visit. Gabriella really wanted to tell her about the baby in person rather than over the phone. She broke down and told me that… that she has cancer."

"What?" Lucille exclaimed. Beside her, Jack gaped.

"It's papillary thyroid cancer," Troy explained. "She had her thyroid removed a couple months ago, and now she's having radiation treatments. It's a very treatable form of cancer—her prognosis is good."

"But she hasn't told Gabriella," Lucille deduced. "Why not?"

"She found out around the same time that Gabriella's fibroids were discovered," Troy told her. "She said she didn't want to add more stress by telling Gabriella about her diagnosis. And now she wants to wait until she has a clean bill of health before she tells her."

"But she told you?" Jack asked. "And asked you to keep it from your wife?"

"Yeah," Troy nodded. "I hate keeping secrets from Gabriella, but with the added stress of the pregnancy, I'm worried about how she'll react to the news."

"How do you think she'll react when she finds out you and Maria have been keeping this from her?" Lucille asked pointedly.

"I don't know, Mom," he argued. "It's not really my news to tell, though. Neither is the pregnancy."

"You need to get the two of them to talk," Lucille suggested. "Surely Gabriella can handle this more easily than thinking her mom doesn't care enough to see her."

"Are you sure about that?" Troy asked. "She's going to want to rush to New York to be with her mom, and she shouldn't be flying right now. Not to mention that the radiation Maria's receiving could harm the baby. To me, it seems cruel to tell her and not allow her to see for herself that her mom is okay."

Jack shook his head. "It's a tough spot to be in, that's for sure."

"I'm going to get some more lemonade," Lucille announced. "Do you want a refill?"

Both men handed over their glasses, and Lucille disappeared into the kitchen. Troy and Jack sat in silence for a few moments before Jack spoke.

"Your mom and I were thinking, since you told us that Gabriella's expecting, that maybe we should get a hotel room while we're here," Jack said.

Troy looked at him, surprised. "Why?"

"Well, Lucille's worried about adding to Gabriella's stress, having to entertain us," Jack replied. "Besides, you just got back from a romantic vacation together, and having your parents in the house tends to cramp your style, if you know what I mean." He winked at Troy. "It's not like you have a tree house to run off to in the middle of the night."

"W-what?" Troy choked.

"Your last visit to Albuquerque?" Jack reminded him. "The night of the reunion?"

"How…? Ew, Dad, you weren't spying on us, were you?" Troy made a face, and Jack chuckled.

"No way," Jack teased. "I prefer not to think of my son as a sexually active man. That's going to be a little harder to pull off now that your wife is pregnant." Troy's face scrunched further. "I got up early that Sunday morning and peeked in your bedroom to check on you, just like I did when you were a kid. You weren't there, and it doesn't take a genius to narrow down the list of other places you would've gone."

"Dad, _don't _tell Gabriella you know," Troy pleaded. "She'll be mortified."

"It'll be just between us, the Bolton men," Jack promised.

"Uh oh, what are the Bolton men up to now?" Lucille asked as she came through the back door and handed them fresh glasses of lemonade.

"We were just talking about how much we love the Bolton _women,_" Jack charmed.

"Especially since _my _woman got me a Giants jersey for our anniversary," Troy added with a grin. "I'm totally wearing it to the game tomorrow. Dad will be green with envy!"

"Nah, I don't want to wear number 14," Jack teased. "I'd much rather sport the old number 21." He winked at Lucille. "Maybe you should keep that in mind for _our _next anniversary, dear."

Lucille rolled her eyes. "Please. If you get any more sports memorabilia, we'll have to buy a bigger house!"

Jack shrugged. "I don't see a problem with that. How about you, Son?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Troy teased.

Lucille laughed. "Some things never change, do they?"

"Nope," Jack agreed. "Not a bit."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy took Tuesday off, and Lucille suggested that the foursome take a road trip to Sacramento to check out the campus where Troy would be working. She'd noticed Troy's anxiety about the job assignment, and she guessed that experiencing the drive and seeing the campus would help to put his mind at ease. Dr. Overman set up a meeting for them with the athletic director, who agreed to give them a tour.

Troy and Gabriella were pleased to find that the drive from San Francisco to Sacramento took a little less than two hours. The sprawling campus was dotted with stone buildings and palm trees, and the athletic facilities were spectacular. Jack and Troy gasped as they entered the fieldhouse where they were to meet the athletic director. The AD's office was as spacious as the building that housed it, and he rose from his massive desk when Troy knocked on the door.

"Hi," he greeted. "I'm Pete Massey." He rounded his desk and extended his hand. "You must be Dr. Bolton."

"Please, call me Troy," Troy replied as he shook the older man's hand. He turned and gestured behind him. "These are my parents, Jack and Lucille." Pete shook their hands as Troy's hand settled on Gabriella's waist. "And this is my wife, Gabriella."

The athletic director offered her a warm smile and a handshake. "It's nice to meet you. And I understand that congratulations are in order. Mike Overman tells me that you two have a bundle of joy on the way."

Gabriella blushed cutely while Troy beamed. "We do indeed. And we want to thank you for agreeing to the modified schedule so I can be home every week. I really appreciate it."

Pete nodded. "Mike convinced me that you're the man for the job, so I'm glad we could make it work." He gestured them out into the carpeted hallway and pulled his office door shut before turning to grin at them. "Are you ready for the grand tour?"

"Absolutely," Troy answered. "I can't wait to get a closer look at these incredible facilities."

They made easy conversation as they walked the cavernous halls of the fieldhouse.

"Are you a football guy, Troy?" Pete asked.

"Basketball," Troy answered. "UC Berkeley by way of East High in Albuquerque." He clapped his father on the shoulder proudly. "This guy coached us in back-to-back championships."

Pete grinned. "I'm a basketball guy myself. I coached some high school ball back in the day. Are you still coaching, Jack?"

"Twenty years now," Jack answered with a matching grin.

Pete turned to Lucille and winked. "And you're still married to him? You must be a saint!"

Lucille laughed. "Hardly. Troy is our only child, though, so during his teenage years our house positively reeked of basketball."

Pete laughed with the group as he unlocked a door and led them into the school's basketball arena. Troy and Jack stood in awe, turning in circles to take in the grandeur of the facility. Lucille and Gabriella couldn't help but laugh at their childlike wonder.

Next they went to the adjoining football stadium, where the men once again gaped at the impressive facilities. Pete led them through the training room filled with state-of-the-art equipment, the locker room, and down a wide hallway, where he paused in front of a door and slid in a key.

"This will be your office," he announced, stepping aside so Troy could enter first. In the center of the room was a large desk with a cushy chair that faced the door. Two more chairs sat in front of the desk, presumably for consultations with student athletes, and several file cabinets lined the wall behind the desk. To one side, there was a plush sofa and coffee table, and the opposite wall held a big-screen television with additional electronics on an entertainment unit below it. The floor was carpeted in scarlet red, and the walls were painted creamy beige.

"Ugh, Stanford colors," Troy muttered, pretending to be put off. Gabriella poked him in the side. To Pete, he explained, "My wife is a Stanford graduate."

"Ah, an in-house rivalry," Pete nodded. "You won't find any Berkeley blue around here. This is Bulldog country."

"This sure beats _my _office in the smelly boys' locker room," Jack commented wryly.

"Would you like to check out the football field?" Pete asked. "We just had the turf redone."

"Absolutely," Troy answered enthusiastically.

"Count me in," Jack added.

Gabriella caught Troy's arm as he passed. "Is it all right if I wait here?"

He looked down at her and tilted his head. "Sure. Are you okay?"

She smiled. "Just tired. And that couch is calling my name."

Troy kissed her forehead. "Stay here and try out my couch. We'll be back in a little while."

"I think I'll stay here with Gabriella," Lucille announced, and Troy nodded appreciatively.

The two women had barely settled onto the sofa when a large figure loomed in the doorway.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

Lucille and Gabriella were so shocked by his gruffness that it took them a few moments to respond.

"We're visiting the campus with my son, Troy," Lucille finally answered. "He'll be working here this fall as the football team's physician." She pushed to her feet and extended her hand. Beside her, Gabriella rose as well. "I'm Lucille Bolton, and this is my daughter-in-law, Gabriella. And you are…?"

The man ignored Lucille's question and outstretched hand as he stared openly at Gabriella. She smoothed her clothing nervously, uncomfortable under his gaze.

"You're the doctor's wife?" he asked, frowning when she nodded. "You don't look pregnant to me."

"I beg your pardon!" Gabriella retorted.

"Massey said the team doctor could only be here part-time," the man clarified. "Something about his pregnant wife staying in San Francisco."

"I _am _Troy's wife, and I _am _pregnant," Gabriella argued. "What business is that of yours?"

"I'm the head football coach," he answered smugly. "I make it my business to know what goes on around here." He eyed Gabriella up and down again, and she forced herself to hold his gaze. "How did you get in here?"

Lucille cleared her throat, drawing his attention away from Gabriella. "Pete Massey is showing us around campus. He took my son and husband out to see the football field, but we opted to stay behind." She pinned him with a glare. "I didn't catch your name."

"Jim Sterling," he answered distractedly, his attention back to Gabriella. "I wasn't thrilled with having such a young, inexperienced doctor working with my team, but if _you're_ going to be around, I'll be all too happy to jump on board."

Gabriella stood her ground, even though her knees were shaking. "I'm sure Troy will appreciate your warm welcome, but I will not be _around, _except to visit my husband. As you already pointed out, I live and work in San Francisco."

Unable to produce a suitable comeback, Jim Sterling turned and stalked out the door. As soon as he disappeared around the corner, Gabriella sank back into the sofa.

"What a dirtbag," Lucille muttered.

"Yeah," Gabriella agreed. "A dirtbag that Troy will be working with for the next several months."

"He can handle him," Lucille replied with a wink. "If he's only a dirtbag around attractive young women, Troy'll be fine. That description certainly doesn't apply to my son."

Gabriella giggled. "'Attractive'? Yes. 'Young woman'? Definitely not!"

...~«ώ»~...

Meanwhile, out on the football field, Troy took a deep breath. "Pete, I hope you don't mind my asking, but why was the previous team physician fired?"

Pete looked him directly in the eye. "Doping. He was also the wrestling team's physician, and we found out that he was providing them with a slew of performance-enhancing drugs. We finally got the proof we needed last month."

"Wow," Troy breathed. He hadn't expected to hear _that._

"I'll be frank with you, Troy," Pete continued. "That doctor was good friends with Jim Sterling. They worked together for years. So let's just say that my decision to fire the doctor did not go over well with Coach Sterling. There's no indication of illegal activities with the football team, but it's not too far of a stretch to imagine that it's possible."

Troy and Jack looked equally flabbergasted.

"Funny that that particular piece of information didn't come up when Troy was considering whether or not to take this job," Jack said pointedly.

Pete held up his hands. "Jim can be a bit of a blowhard, but he's a very talented coach, and his staff is first-rate. Like I said, we've found no indication of wrongdoing with the football team or its coaches. This _will _be a good learning experience for you, Troy. Just keep your eyes and ears open, and report anything suspicious directly to me."

Troy nodded seriously, and Jack looked somewhat relieved. "If we're through here, I think we'd better go see what our wives are up to."

"Right this way," Pete agreed.

...~«ώ»~...

The remainder of their campus visit was uneventful, and Troy's chattered excitedly about the job assignment all the way back to San Francisco.

Wednesday was the Fourth of July, and Troy had to work part of the day. Gabriella took Jack and Lucille across the Bay Bridge to the Berkeley Fourth of July Festival. There they enjoyed food and craft booths, and Jack and Lucille took a sailboat ride. Troy and Gabriella had spent a number of Independence Days at the Berkeley Festival, dating back to Troy's college days, and the familiar surroundings lulled Gabriella as she stood on the pier waiting for Jack and Lucille to return from their sail.

"Hey, beautiful." The warm baritone voice instantly brought a smile to her face. She turned into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck as he lifted her feet off the ground.

"I missed you today," Troy said in her ear.

"I missed you too," she answered. "How was work?"

He lowered her back to the ground and shook his head. "I don't want to talk about work." His gaze swept down to the sandals on her feet, past the cutoff shorts, and up to her V-neck tank, which provided a tempting view of her cleavage. "I want to talk about how damn sexy you look. If I'd known you were out here looking like this all day, I would've been here to rough up any man who dared to look at you."

She laughed, delighted by his possessiveness. "You're looking pretty hot yourself, Dr. Bolton. Definitely not hospital-issue attire." He had changed into board shorts and a tank that showed his muscular arms in all their glory.

He preened exaggeratedly, inciting another round of giggles. He frowned when he noticed the strings of her bikini top tied at the back of her neck, underneath her ponytail.

"You're wearing a bikini. You didn't swim today, did you?" he asked. "Not with your stitches."

She shook her head and raised her hand as if swearing an oath. "I followed my hot doctor's orders to the letter. No swimming. Wear sunscreen. Take frequent breaks to rest. Drink plenty of water." Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she threaded her arms around his neck. "And kiss the sexiest man I meet."

He feigned outrage. "That was _not _one of the rules!"

She grinned and pulled his head down. "It is now," she told him just before she engaged his lips in a steamy kiss. The fireworks weren't due to be launched for several more hours, but Troy could swear he saw flashes of light behind his closed eyelids.

Finally, reluctantly, he pulled away, needing to stop before there was a _different _kind of explosion. She sensed his struggle to regain control and loosened her hold on him.

"About the bikini," she said, changing the subject for _both _their sakes. "I figured that this time next year my body may not look so good in a bikini, so I should work it while I still have the chance."

"You'll look gorgeous in a bikini," he reassured her. "You look gorgeous in anything." He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Or _nothing._"

"Troy, you made it!" Jack exclaimed as he and Lucille walked up the sailboat's gangplank. Troy blushed guiltily. "How was work?"

Gabriella giggled, remembering his response when _she'd _asked that same question. He shot her a dirty look before grinning at his father. "Great, Dad. What do you guys think of the festival?"

"It's really nice," Lucille answered. "We can take a quick tour of the booths with you, if you'd like. We packed a picnic for dinner. Gabriella suggested that we eat on the beach so we'll have a good view of the fireworks."

"Sounds good," Troy said. "Lead the way." He deliberately dropped back to watch his wife's backside as she walked up the pier in her tight cutoffs. "Oh, yeah," he murmured to himself. "It's a _great _view. Let the fireworks begin!"


	27. Trouble

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 27—Trouble**

Jack and Lucille Bolton were scheduled to fly home on Sunday morning, so they spent their last day in San Francisco with Troy and Gabriella at Golden Gate Park. As they walked the grounds, Lucille was tickled to see how much her son doted on his pregnant wife. Troy had always been affectionate with Gabriella, but her pregnancy had apparently ratcheted up his attentiveness towards her. He alternately held her hand, looped an arm around her waist or shoulders, and guided her with a hand on the small of her back. He watched her face for signs of nausea or fatigue or dizziness. And he beamed with happiness. Gabriella did too. She was obviously as happy and in love as her husband was, and the excitement and awareness that crackled between them was impossible to miss.

"How are you feeling, Gabriella?" Jack asked his daughter-in-law. "Do you need to stop and rest?"

Lucille chuckled to herself. Since Gabriella's attack nearly two years earlier, Jack had become almost as protective of her as Troy was.

Gabriella looked back over her shoulder and smiled. "I'm all right, Jack. Thank you for asking."

_'All right'_ was probably a bit of a stretch, Lucille thought. She'd heard Gabriella in the bathroom throwing up several times the night before, accompanied by the sound of Troy's soft, reassuring voice. She'd actually been surprised when Gabriella had suggested an outing to the park. If their positions had been reversed, Lucille was sure she would have stayed in bed, but Gabriella seemed to have found a burst of energy from somewhere.

"Where these kids get all their energy, I'll never know," Lucille muttered under her breath.

"What was that, Luce?" Jack asked.

"Uh…" she stammered in reply. "I was wondering when we're going to go see the Japanese Tea Garden. I know it's one of Gabriella's favorites."

Troy glanced back at his parents. "We're on the way there now. I figured it would be a good place for us to take a break."

'_Us,' _Lucille knew, actually meant 'Gabriella.' Not that she could fault her son's caution. Gabriella looked like she would blow away if a strong wind came along.

"Son, I know it's pretty early to be talking about this, but have you thought of any baby names?" Jack asked casually.

"Well," Troy answered with a wink at his wife, "we could go with LeBron, Kobe, or Shaq if it's a boy."

Lucille rolled her eyes as Jack's lit up. "Or something more classic, like Larry, Isiah, or Reggie," he added.

"'Larry Bolton,'" Gabriella teased. "That has a nice ring to it."

"Don't encourage them, Gabriella," Lucille warned. "If I hadn't put my foot down when Troy was born, you would be married to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Bolton."

Gabriella stopped in her tracks, turning to face her in-laws in disbelief. "No way!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, it's true," Lucille insisted. "I finally got Jack to change his mind by pointing out that if our son was going to be a professional basketball player, he'd need his _own _name, not a copy of someone else's."

"Thank goodness!" Gabriella replied, and Jack feigned hurt.

"It's a nice name, Dad," Troy offered loyally. "But since I'm not a pro ball player, I think I'll stick with the name I've got."

Jack tried again. "If we'd known you would become a doctor, we could've named you Julius Erving." Troy looked at him blankly. "You know, 'Dr. J'? Played for the 76ers? Fifth highest scorer in NBA history?"

The women laughed and started walking again, their arms linked in solidarity, while Jack continued to plead his case.

"Come on, isn't that a nice name?" he insisted. "'Dr. J Bolton'?"

"It's good, Dad," Troy patronized. "But I'm sticking with 'Dr. _Troy_ Bolton.' It's already sewn on my hospital lab coat."

"Oh, I'd forgotten how beautiful this place is," Lucille enthused, strategically changing the subject as they reached the Japanese Tea Garden.

Gabriella nodded as she looked around happily, trying to decide where to go first. She caught a whiff of baking confections from the nearby Tea House, and out of nowhere, a wave of heat and nausea roiled through her. She swayed on her feet, looking around frantically for a bathroom. Cool hands suddenly framed her face, and she looked up into her husband's eyes.

"Breathe," Troy instructed her, his voice calm and sure.

She stared at him, her distress evident, but she breathed, slowly and controlled as he demonstrated. Gradually the nausea subsided as though he'd willed it away. Sensing that the worst had passed, he offered her a sympathetic smile and leaned in to kiss her forehead. Her arms slipped around his waist, under his t-shirt, and she leaned into him.

"Better?" he asked softly. She nodded against his chest, and he guided her over to a nearby bench. Before he sat, he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and handed it to Lucille. "Mom, would you please go and get some weak green tea from the Tea House?"

"No, that's not necessary," Gabriella argued. "I'm okay. I just got a little overheated…"

Lucille had already turned and was striding toward the Tea House with Jack following closely behind. Troy sat beside Gabriella, pulling her hands into his lap.

"Troy…" she started to argue, but he cut her off.

"It'll help settle your stomach," he explained. "You had a rough night last night, sweetheart, and it's a hot day. I want to make sure you're comfortable and hydrated."

She let out a frustrated sigh. "It's hot for _everyone, _Troy. I'm no special case."

"You're pregnant," he insisted. "That makes you a special case. _My _special case." He lifted her hand to his lips. "So let me take care of you." Reluctantly she nodded, and he grinned. "Good girl."

They sat for a few minutes in comfortable silence, watching ducks splash in the koi pond in front of the Tea House. Troy scooted closer, circling his arm around her waist, and when she raised her head to ask what he was doing, his lips closed over hers. She was startled, but within seconds, she was kissing him back. They abruptly pulled apart when someone cleared her throat next to them, and they looked up into Lucille's mock-stern face. Gabriella blushed, but Troy smirked.

"Sorry, Mom, but I'm not going to apologize for kissing my wife," he told her cheekily.

Behind Lucille, Jack chuckled, and a smile spread across her face. "Well, if you want your wife to drink this tea, you're going to have to free up her lips for a few minutes," Lucille teased.

"Well, if I must," Troy joked.

"I got the iced version," Lucille said as she handed the cup to Gabriella. "Hot tea doesn't sound so good on a hot day."

"Thank you," Gabriella told her before taking a few sips. She nodded her approval and leaned back on the bench, savoring the cool liquid.

"Son, if we can trust you to behave yourself, your father and I are going to take a quick stroll while Gabriella rests," Lucille told him.

Troy winked at his parents. "If _we _can trust _you _to behave yourselves, we'll be waiting here when you get back."

"Deal," Jack vowed, taking his wife's hand and pulling her toward the path.

Troy watched them go, and when he turned back to Gabriella, she was smiling at him. "Why do I get the feeling that you're not going to hold up your end of that deal?" she asked knowingly.

"Ah, you know me too well," he grinned.

"What am I going to do with you?" she giggled.

"Hurry and drink your tea so I can kiss you until my folks come back."

...~«ώ»~...

Later that evening, the foursome reclined in the Boltons' living room. They'd just finished a card game, and Troy and Jack, stung by their loss to the women, sat sullenly as Gabriella and Lucille teased and prodded them.

"I see that my son's just as much of a sore loser as he always was," Lucille observed.

"I'm not a sore loser, Mom," Troy retorted. "You two cheated!"

Gabriella leaned forward incredulously. "How did we cheat?"

"You're supposed to be _my _partner," Troy whined to her. "I play better with you than with Dad."

"Hey!" Jack interjected.

"Sorry, Dad, but it's true," Troy said. "This whole 'girls-versus-boys' thing was Mom's idea."

"I lived for 18 years with two guys and no girls," Lucille defended. "It's nice to finally balance the equation." She winked at her daughter-in-law. "Especially since Gabriella is such a whiz at equations!"

The women laughed as the men glowered at them. Lucille's phone sounded in her pocket, and she pulled it out to read the name on the screen. She frowned.

"It's Sandra Danforth," she told them. "Why on earth would she be calling this late? She knows we're in San Francisco."

"Only one way to find out," Jack pointed out.

Lucille answered, and her face quickly showed that there was trouble. She pushed to her feet and walked to the kitchen. Troy took Gabriella's hand and squeezed it.

"I hope nothing's wrong with Charlie," Jack worried about his longtime friend.

"Or Chad or Taylor," Troy added seriously.

Their earlier joviality was gone when Lucille returned to the room.

"What is it, Luce?" Jack asked anxiously.

She sat down heavily. "Edward Cox—Martha's father—had a stroke yesterday."

"Oh, no," Gabriella breathed. "How awful!"

"The shock of the news caused Martha to go into preterm labor," Lucille continued. "The baby was born this morning, six weeks early. It's a boy." She looked intently between her son and daughter-in-law. "He's not doing well."

Gabriella's hands flew up to cover her mouth, and Troy reached out to rub her back comfortingly.

"He weighs just over four pounds, and he's on a ventilator and feeding tube," Lucille went on. "He has a fever and jaundice."

"Late preterm babies have a really high survival rate," Troy pointed out encouragingly.

"Poor Martha," Gabriella murmured. "I can't even imagine…"

"How's her father doing?" Jack asked.

"He has partial paralysis and can't speak right now," Lucille told him. "He's got a long, difficult recovery ahead of him."

Troy looked back at Gabriella. Her hand had settled over her abdomen, and she looked up at him fearfully. "Oh, Troy…"

He halted her with a finger on her lips. "Don't even think like that, sweetheart. Our baby is fine." Even as he said it, though, he inwardly cringed, imagining the shock Gabriella would endure when she found out about her mother's cancer. Their baby, at seven weeks, had no chance of survival outside the womb. He caught his mother's eye and saw his concern echoed there.

"Where are they now?" Jack asked.

"Martha and Jim are still in L.A. Martha's brother is in Albuquerque with their parents," Lucille told them. She reached over and took one of Gabriella's hands. "I'm sure Martha's baby will be fine, honey."

Gabriella nodded, too stunned to answer. She'd taken for granted that once she got pregnant, it would be smooth sailing. But the risk of complications—miscarriage or premature birth—came crashing down on her. She couldn't bear the thought of losing the baby she hadn't even been sure she could conceive.

"Gabriella, are you okay?" Jack asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

She shook her head as tears clouded her vision. Troy held her, swaying gently back and forth, and she vaguely heard him discussing Martha's situation with his parents. She wanted to join in the conversation, but the only words her mind could form were the ones Troy hadn't allowed her to express. '_What if…?'_

...~«ώ»~...

Sunday morning, Troy and Gabriella took Jack and Lucille to the airport and said their goodbyes at the security checkpoint.

"I'm so glad you could make it," Troy said as he hugged his mom. "You know you're welcome anytime."

"I'm going to be saving my vacation time so I can come and see my grandbaby when it's born," Lucille answered. Troy released her, and she reached for Gabriella. "And you… You take care of yourself, sweetie. You've got someone very precious inside you."

"I will," Gabriella answered. "Thank you for coming, both of you. It was…" she paused to blink back tears, and Lucille hugged her again. "It was wonderful."

Jack hugged Troy before glancing at the women. "Take good care of her, Son."

"You know I will, Dad," Troy promised.

Jack released him and enfolded Gabriella in a warm embrace. "Gabriella, take care of my boy."

Gabriella peeked over at Troy and smiled when he winked at her. "I will, Jack. Thanks for coming."

They exchanged one more set of hugs, and the women wiped tears from their eyes. Finally, Jack and Lucille went through security, and turned one last time to see their son and daughter-in-law, holding hands and waving at them. Lucille dabbed her eyes as they disappeared from sight, and Jack reached back to take her hand.

"Come on, Grandma," he teased. "We've got a plane to catch."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy set his lunch tray down on the cafeteria table on Monday and nodded a greeting to Mark and Kelly.

"Hey, man, what's up?" Mark greeted. "Did your parents make it back to Albuquerque all right?"

Troy slid into his seat. "Safe and sound." He grinned. "And I'm sure by now the entire state of New Mexico has heard that Gabriella and I are having a baby."

"But not the state of New York?" Kelly asked pointedly.

Troy shook his head. "She still hasn't told Maria. My mom tried to talk to her about it, but she said it wasn't up for discussion."

Mark frowned. "Gabi and her mom used to be so close. What happened?"

"I sure wish I knew," Troy replied. "Things have been… I don't know, off somehow… since Maria moved to New York in January. But she's been putting her job ahead of her daughter for years."

"And Gabi won't admit how much that hurts her," Kelly observed.

"No, she won't," Troy agreed. "I'm glad that I've been able to provide a sense of stability for her since we've been together, a constant that she didn't have in her life after her father died." He twisted his wedding ring around his finger. "But especially now that she's facing motherhood, she _needs _a relationship with her mother. My mom has tried to fill in the gaps as best as she can, but she can't take Maria's place."

"Have you told all that to Maria?" Mark asked. "I mean, what could possibly be more important than seeing her daughter and helping her get ready for her baby's birth?"

Troy hesitated. Mark and Kelly didn't know about Maria's cancer diagnosis, and he was in dangerous territory. "I've talked to Maria a few times. We had an argument when we went back to Albuquerque for the reunion, and it really upset Gabriella."

"Understandably so," Kelly commented.

"I know," Troy nodded. "Maria and I talked again the next day, but nothing really got settled." He hesitated again, swirling the liquid in his cup. "And I called her a couple of weeks ago, after she told Gabriella that she didn't have time to come visit. I was hoping I could get her to change her mind, but that obviously didn't happen."

"And Gabi hasn't talked to her since," Mark finished, shaking his head.

"Gabriella called her last night," Troy corrected. "One of our friends from high school… Her dad had a stroke. It made Gabriella think about losing her own father, and so she gave in and called Maria."

"What happened?" Kelly asked cautiously.

Troy's jaw tightened. "She told Gabriella that she was on her way out the door and didn't have time to talk. She said Ryan and Kelsi invited her to the opening of their new show."

"Ouch," Mark exclaimed. "That's awful. Gabi doesn't deserve that."

"Her emotions are all over the place because of the pregnancy," Kelly added. "That's got to make it even worse."

Troy nodded. Gabriella had tried not to show how disappointed she was by her mom's brush-off, and Troy felt more conflicted than ever. He'd heard Maria's raspy voice over the phone, and knew that it was like that because of the radiation treatments she'd been receiving. He also knew that she had _not _been on her way out to see a show, because she was still under quarantine. She'd made up the excuse when Gabriella had begun to pepper her with questions about how the big project at work was progressing and why her voice sounded so strange. And Troy was pretty sure that as Maria had bid her goodbyes, she'd been crying. Gabriella hadn't noticed it through her own tears. It was such a tough situation, keeping a secret like that. Troy had been on the verge of telling Gabriella the truth, but then he'd remembered Martha's early delivery and kept his mouth shut.

"It's frustrating," Troy finally answered. "Growing up, I didn't always see eye to eye with my parents, but at least I knew that they loved me and wanted what was best for me. They shielded me, but they also gave me space to make my own choices." He chewed thoughtfully on his bottom lip. "Maria thinks she's protecting Gabriella by keeping her at arm's length, but really, it's hurting both of them. And neither of them is interested in hearing that right now."

Kelly touched Troy's arm. "Gabi will come around, Troy. Sooner or later, she'll _have _to tell her mom about the baby. And hopefully that'll smooth things out between them."

"I hope so," Troy sighed. "They're both strong-willed women. At the rate we're going, neither of them will be the first to crack. It'll be me."

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy pulled into the driveway that evening, he was surprised to see that Gabriella was just getting out of her car as well. She was dressed in one of her trim business suits that was supposed to be professional and proper, but, in Troy's eyes, was maddeningly sexy. His eyes raked up her body, taking in her pumps, shapely legs, the hem of her skirt that barely covered her knees, and the succulent curves of her waist, hips, and breasts. She spotted him and waved, and he returned the gesture as he climbed out of the car.

"Hey, handsome," she smiled. "How was work?"

"Fine," he answered distractedly as he approached her and slid a hand around her waist. "What have you been up to today? This isn't exactly grocery-shopping attire."

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "The PR manager from Legal Aid called me this morning to come in for an interview. They hired me on the spot and put me right to work!"

Troy leaned in to kiss her before he answered carefully. "Sweetheart, are you sure you can handle working full-time right now? I mean, you've had some pretty bad morning sickness for the past couple of weeks."

"I'm working on a freelance basis," she explained. "They really need help. Several new immigration laws took effect the first of July, so there's a high demand for bilingual lawyers. I _couldn't _say no, Troy."

They climbed the porch steps hand in hand, and Troy slid his key into the lock on the front door. Inside the house, he pulled her close.

"How do you fit such a big heart into that cute little body of yours?" he teased.

She giggled and circled her arms around his neck. "You're the doctor," she murmured. "_You _tell _me_."

Instead, he lowered his head and kissed her. When her lips parted, his tongue swept into her mouth to taste and tease her.

"Mmm," she hummed, relaxing into his embrace.

A loud growl interrupted them, and he pulled back to look at her, his eyebrows furrowed. "Was that your stomach? What did you eat for lunch?"

She smiled sheepishly at him. "I, uh… was still feeling nauseous at lunch time."

"You haven't eaten since breakfast?" he asked incredulously.

She looked down at her feet. "I couldn't eat any breakfast," she admitted quietly.

Troy forced his voice to remain level. "Gabriella. You _have _to eat. It's not good for you, or the baby, to skip meals like that."

She bit into her plump bottom lip. "I know. I was nervous and I… I just didn't want to get sick my first day on the job."

He frowned. "It would be better to get sick than to pass out. Sweetheart, you've _got _to take better care of yourself."

Hurt flickered in her eyes. "I'm doing my best, Troy. Do you have any idea how tired I am of throwing up? My throat hurts _all the time. _Every time I eat something, I worry about whether it'll stay in my stomach long enough to give some nourishment to the baby." She dropped her head, but not before he saw tears swimming in her eyes. "I'm doing my best," she repeated quietly.

Troy's heart constricted and he took her in his arms. "I know you are, honey. I know you are," he murmured into her hair. He walked her over to the couch and released her long enough to sit, and then pulled her onto his lap. She sagged against him, and he rubbed her back comfortingly. He knew that her symptoms were typical for a first pregnancy, but that didn't make it any easier for him to see her suffer.

"We have our eight-week check-up with Dr. Grant next week," Gabriella reminded him. "Maybe she can give me something to help with the nausea."

He smiled at the hopefulness in her voice and squeezed her waist. "I hope so. Meanwhile, tell me more about work."

Her face lit up again, and excited words tumbled out of her mouth. "It's so cool to practice law and help the Hispanic community! Of course, I like being a professor too, but maybe when school starts, I'll still volunteer at Legal Aid a few times a month. I mean, it's not just the immigration laws that they need help with. There's health care, and employment, and taxes…"

Troy leaned back into the sofa and chuckled at her waving arms. When she got that passionate look in her eyes, she was a force to be reckoned with. A force that he loved more than anything in the world.

...~«ώ»~...

By the end of her first week at Legal Aid, Gabriella had settled into a routine. Because she was still so sick in the mornings, she worked at home on files she'd brought from the work the previous day. When her stomach settled, she went in and met with clients in the afternoon. She was excited about the new challenge, and Troy was glad that she had something to take her mind off of her mother's snub.

They'd also heard that Martha's baby boy, named James Edward Brightman after his father and grandfather, was growing stronger and eating on his own. Martha's dad was still in the hospital, but he seemed to be making progress as well.

When Troy got home from work on Friday evening, he was alarmed to discover Gabriella in the bedroom, frantically throwing clothes into an overnight bag that lay open on the bed.

"Gabriella?" he started, grabbing her arm. She looked at him for a moment, and though he could see that she'd been crying, the most prevalent emotion on her face was anger. She pulled her arm away and continued with her frantic packing.

"Sweetheart, what's going on?" he tried again. "What's wrong? Where are you going?"

She turned to face him again, swaying unsteadily. Troy surged forward and grabbed her arms, searching her eyes for clues about her distress. She sucked in a shaky breath, and he shoved the suitcase off the bed and eased her down.

He tried again. "Baby, what's wrong? What's going on?"

"My m-mom," she stuttered. Troy's heart dropped to his feet.

"What about your mom? Did something happen?"

Her jaw set, and the angry expression returned. "I called Kelsi to give her the update on Martha's family," she began. "Remember how Mom told me that she was going to see Ryan and Kelsi's new show? I asked Kelsi about it, and she said they haven't seen or heard from Mom since the reunion." She looked down at her hands, fretfully wringing in her lap. "So I called Mom's cell. Of course she didn't answer. Why would she? She obviously doesn't want to talk to me!" Gabriella stood and began pacing, and Troy watched anxiously from his seat on the bed.

"Sweetheart, you know that she's busy," he attempted. Guilt flooded him at the lie. How many times had she used, and he rejected, that excuse for her mother's negligence?

Her eyes flared with anger. "I know no such thing! Whose side are you on?"

Troy stood and caught her. "Gabriella, I'm always on your side. You still haven't told me where you're going."

She looked up at him. "After I called Mom's cell, I tried her work number. Guess what, Troy. There's no big project, because _she's not even working right now! _They told me that she took a leave of absence three weeks ago! She's been lying to me for… who knows how long? She won't take my calls, so I'm going to New York to find out the truth, once and for all!"

She was shaking with anger, and Troy rubbed her arms, trying to calm her. Part of him wanted to go to New York and shake his mother-in-law for all the trouble she'd caused. But his main concern was for Gabriella. He walked her back to the bed and sat her down again.

"Sweetheart, before we go any farther, I need you to try to calm down," he told her gently. "Take some deep breaths for me, okay?" She stared at him, and he rambled on. "Gabriella, you have a right to be angry, but you're scaring me. Please, can you try to breathe slowly?"

To his relief, she nodded and pulled in a slow breath, exhaling slowly as he'd taught her.

"Good girl," he praised softly, rubbing her back soothingly. "A few more like that."

As her anger receded, the tears began.

"Why would she do this to me?" Gabriella cried. "I don't understand."

Troy wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her into him. "I don't understand either, sweetheart," he answered honestly. "But I don't want you running off to New York in your condition." She started to argue again, but he went on. "I promise you, Gabriella, one way or another, we're going to get to the truth."

She nodded, and Troy hoped with all his heart that she would be able to handle the truth.


	28. Tears

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 28—Tears**

"_**Tears are words the heart can't express."**_

_A/N: Endless thanks to Robin for her help and encouragement with this chapter. Instead of saying, "Why haven't you updated?" she asks, "How can I help?" and that means so much to me. With every long, rambling e-mail we exchange, this story gets better._

* * *

Troy Bolton was a man of action. His years on the basketball court had taught him how to handle pressure. His medical training had given him the skills to make quick decisions. And his stage experience had enabled him to bluff and improvise when he needed to buy time to problem-solve. He took pride in his ability to face problems head-on, determine a solution, and take action. Standing in the driveway that Friday evening, Troy was completely at a loss. He'd left Gabriella weeping in their bedroom under the guise of retrieving his blood pressure cuff from the car. Now, he put his phone up to his ear and mentally begged Maria Montez to answer. She'd been avoiding Gabriella's phone calls all week, but Troy hoped that seeing _his_ number on her screen would concern her enough to answer.

"Hello?" the gravelly voice on the other end began.

"Maria, thank God you're there," Troy exclaimed.

There was a sharp intake of breath. "What's wrong, Troy? Did something happen to Gabi?"

"No," Troy answered. "But she knows you're hiding something. I came home from work and found her packing, planning to fly to New York to confront you."

"No!" Maria nearly shouted. "She can't do that. Um… I'll call her and tell her I'm on the way to London."

"Maria! You can't keep lying to your daughter," Troy insisted. "She knows you took a leave of absence from work, and she knows you haven't seen our friends since the reunion. You _have _to tell her what's going on!"

"I'm not ready, Troy," she argued. "Please, I only have one more week of treatments. Can't you make up something to tell Gabi?"

"Absolutely not," he said forcefully. "I feel bad enough for not telling her what you told me. I refuse to lie for you."

"Troy…" she pleaded. He cut her off.

"No, Maria, I'm not going along with this! She thinks you don't care about her anymore. It's tearing her apart, and I won't allow you to keep hurting her like this. So either you tell her, or I will."

"Don't you think I know what's best for my daughter?" Maria huffed.

"No, I don't," he returned hotly. "You have held her at arm's length for way too long. I'm here with her every day, taking care of her and holding her when _you_ make her cry. _ I_ know what's best for her, because I love her enough to make her a priority in my life."

"How dare you…" she began. He cut her off again.

"I don't have time to argue with you," Troy told her. "I need to get back to my wife. She's going to be calling you in a little while, and damn it, Maria, you'd better answer the phone!"

With that, he slapped his phone shut, effectively ending the conversation. He leaned on the car for a few moments, trying to calm his ire. Then he opened his trunk and retrieved the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope from his medical bag. He slammed the trunk hard to vent his frustration, took a deep breath, and climbed the porch steps.

...~«ώ»~...

"Good girl," Troy murmured as he draped his stethoscope around his neck and released the pressure valve on the cuff. Gabriella had managed to calm herself enough that her blood pressure was within the normal range, albeit the upper end of the range. He slid the cuff off her arm and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"You have every right to be upset," he acknowledged softly. "But listen to what your mom has to say, and try to stay as calm as you can, okay? Can you do that for me?"

"I'll try," she answered. "But I just… I don't understand how she could do this to me."

"There's only one way to find out," he said. "Why don't we call her from the living room and use the speaker phone?" After his most recent conversation with Maria, he wasn't sure he trusted her to tell her daughter the truth.

Gabriella's hands shook as she dialed her mother's number. Troy breathed a sigh of relief when Maria answered the call, but that quickly gave way to shock as Gabriella began an angry tirade in Spanish.

_"¿Ahora si contestas mis llamadas? Yo sé que me estas mintiendo. ¡Y Bastante! ¿Qué pasa? ¡Dime la verdad, Mamá!"_

Troy squeezed her arm. "Sweetheart, please…" he whispered.

She glanced at him and nodded. "Mom, what's going on? You've been lying to me about work. You won't come to visit, you won't talk to me, and I want to know why!"

Maria sighed heavily. "Is Troy there with you, m'ija?"

"I'm here," Troy announced. "We have you on speaker phone."

"Gabi, I'm so sorry that I've lied to you," Maria began. "I'm not trying to avoid you…"

"It sure feels that way," Gabriella snapped.

"Gabi, please listen to me," Maria implored. "I should have told you this sooner, but I was worried about you, with your surgeries and all the stress you've been under trying to get pregnant."

Gabriella touched her stomach guiltily. "Mom…"

"M'ija, I have cancer," Maria announced.

The words that had been on Gabriella's tongue died in a gasp of shock, and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. "W-what?" She shook her head, refusing to accept what she was hearing. "When… how...?"

"It's papillary thyroid cancer," Maria explained. "I had some swelling in a lymph node in my neck, and the doctor ran tests and found a cancerous nodule on the right side of my thyroid."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Gabriella asked tearfully. "I would have come…"

"I know, honey," Maria said. "But you had your own health to worry about. You didn't need to worry about me on top of that."

"We're family, Mom! We're _supposed _to worry about each other!"

"Maria, what have they told you about your prognosis?" Troy asked, trying to redirect the conversation.

"My prognosis is good," Maria reported. "I had my thyroid removed, and I've been receiving radioactive iodine therapy. _That's _why I've been away from work, and why I can't come for a visit right now."

"What do you mean by a 'good' prognosis?" Gabriella asked. "Is the cancer gone? In remission? Will it come back? There could be complications…"

"Hopefully it's gone," Maria answered. "Once I finish the treatment, they'll conduct another round of tests and make sure it hasn't spread anywhere else."

"Sp-spread?" Gabriella choked.

"It's possible, but not likely," Troy reassured her. "Thyroid cancer is generally very treatable, so there's a good chance that removal of the thyroid eliminated all of the cancer cells."

"But there's no way to know for sure," she insisted. "Oh, Mamá…" Her wild emotions overcame her, and tears spilled down her cheeks. "I don't want to lose you, Mom."

Maria's voice was equally choked when she responded. "I don't plan on going anywhere, m'ija. And I'm sorry for keeping this from you. I only wanted to protect you. It's been a rough couple of months for both of us."

"Wait, a couple of _months_?" Gabriella asked incredulously as Troy saw anger rekindle in her eyes. "How long have you known about this?"

"I noticed the swollen lymph node in March," Maria answered. "I had surgery in April, the same day your fibroids were removed."

"I don't believe what I'm hearing, Mom! We spent Mother's Day together in Albuquerque! I knew something was wrong with you that night. I asked you, over and over again, and you denied it! You lied to me!" Gabriella's voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands. Troy leaned closer, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"Uh, Maria, I think we're going to hang up for right now," he announced. "Gabriella needs some time to process all of this. We'll call back later, okay?"

"Okay. Te amo, m'ija."

"I love you too, Mom," Gabriella whispered. "Goodbye."

As soon as Troy pressed the button to end the call, Gabriella collapsed into his arms. She gulped in between wrenching sobs, and he held her, sad that she was hurting, but relieved that there were no more secrets between them.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella woke the next morning in bed with Troy curled behind her, his front to her back. His arm rested on her hip, and his fingers skimmed lightly across her belly. His warm, solid body felt heavenly against hers, and she looked back over her shoulder to see that he was awake.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said softly.

"Hi," she replied. Her brain focused slowly, and she frowned. "I don't remember coming to bed last night."

His soft chuckle against her neck sent a shiver down her spine. "You fell asleep on the couch. I brought you in here."

Gabriella's mind snapped to attention, and memories of the previous evening flooded her. Her mother had cancer. After they'd ended their phone conversation, she'd cried in Troy's arms until she was breathless and exhausted. And that was where her memory ended.

Troy felt her stiffen and knew that she was thinking about her mom. He tightened his arms around her, moving aside her hair to brush his lips against her neck. "It's okay, baby," he murmured in her ear. "I know it's scary, but she has a great chance for a full recovery."

"I feel so torn," Gabriella confessed. "I'm worried about her, but at the same time, I'm angry that she's kept it from me for so long." She glanced back at him ruefully. "I didn't do a very good job of staying calm, did I?"

"It's okay, sweetheart," he soothed. "I probably would have reacted the same way if the situation was reversed." He caressed her belly and smiled against her neck. "Except that I'm not pregnant."

He was surprised to see a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "You _are_, indirectly," she pointed out. "We're _both_ expecting a baby. I'm just the one who has to do all the work."

Troy feigned hurt, pleased that she felt good enough to tease him. "I wouldn't look anywhere near as cute in maternity clothes as you will."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I'm not even showing yet. How do you know what I'll look like in maternity clothes?"

"You would look gorgeous in a burlap sack," he told her confidently before his voice dropped. "And your beautiful body will be even more beautiful when it's swelling with our baby."

She laced her fingers with his over their unborn child, moved by his words. "I love you, Troy," she told him softly.

"I love you too, babe." He kissed her temple and nuzzled her hair, breathing in the sweet scent that always lingered there. He drank in the serenity of the moment and the feel of the woman he loved in his arms.

They lay in silence for so long that Troy thought she'd gone back to sleep, until she took a resolute breath. "I need to go see her, Troy. My mom, I mean. I need to clear the air and make sure she's really okay."

He sighed, not surprised by her words, but saddened by the answer he had to deliver. "Sweetheart, you can't go see her right now. The radiation treatment she's getting can be harmful to others around her. I'm sure that's why she took a leave of absence from work. She can go home in between treatments, but she has to be isolated from other people for several days after each treatment."

"Well, why can't I go when she's in between treatments?" Gabriella pushed, shifting onto her back so she could look at him.

Troy propped his head on his hand. "Normally, that might be allowed… But _you _can't go, Gabriella. Exposure to radiation is dangerous for you and the baby, and I can't let you take that kind of risk."

He expected her to put up some resistance, but she simply looked up at him and nodded. "When will it be safe to see her?"

"Well, she only has one more week of treatments," Troy told her. "After she takes her last treatment, she'll stay on quarantine for a few more days, and then her apartment will have to be thoroughly cleaned and tested. Once it tests clean, and the radiation levels in her body drop, then the danger has passed."

Gabriella frowned. "If it's so dangerous for others, how does it keep from harming her?"

"Thyroid cells are the main cells in the body that can absorb iodine, so when she ingests the radioactive iodine, it naturally goes to the thyroid cells. Once they absorb the radiation, it damages and eventually destroys them. Maria's doctors will test her in a few weeks to see if any thyroid cells remain, and, if necessary, start her on another round of radiation. But it almost always works the first time around."

She smiled up at him and touched his face. "You're cute when you're all serious and doctor-y. But it makes me feel better. Thank you."

He leaned down to kiss her lightly. "I'm glad all that money we paid for medical school is paying off," he teased.

She pushed herself up to pad into the bathroom, and Troy watched her retreat guiltily. He hadn't mentioned that his knowledge of thyroid cancer came from all the reading he'd done in the past two weeks, not because he remembered everything he'd studied in medical school. He wondered for the thousandth time if he should tell her that he'd known before she had, but now that they both knew, it didn't seem particularly important. He decided to wait a few days and then tell her when the dust had begun to settle.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy had to work on Sunday, and Gabriella, needing something to occupy her mind, attacked the flower beds in front of the house, pulling weeds and staking leaning stems. After a quick lunch, she moved to the back yard's flower beds, and when she finished she stood with her hands on her hips, proudly surveying the fruits of her labor.

After a cool shower to ease her aching muscles, Gabriella fixed a drink and glanced at the clock. It would be another two hours before Troy came home. Frowning, she flipped on the television and scanned through the channels, but nothing piqued her interest. Her mind returned to the subject she'd been trying to avoid all day, and finally she picked up the phone with a sigh.

"Hello?" Jack Bolton answered on the other end.

"Hi, Jack, it's Gabriella. How are you?"

"Just fine. How are you feeling? Still having the morning sickness?"

"Yes," Gabriella answered. "I have my eight-week check-up this week, and I'm hoping that Dr. Grant will be able to help."

"Is my son taking good care of you?"

"He always does. He's working today, so I'm holding down the fort on my own."

"I've been meaning to call him since we got home from San Francisco," Jack went on. "He asked me to put him in touch with the team physician from U of A, and I keep forgetting. Do you have something to write with? I'll give you the number."

She wrote it down, and then hesitated. "Um, Jack, is Lucille nearby? There's something I wanted to tell both of you."

"I'm sorry, honey, she's out shopping with Sandra Danforth." Jack lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Between you and me, she's probably buying things for the baby. She's one excited grandma!"

Gabriella's heart constricted as she realized that the baby's _other _grandma was still in the dark about the pregnancy. Jack misinterpreted his daughter-in-law's silence, and his next words came out in a panicky rush.

"Oh no, there isn't anything wrong, is there? Is that what you wanted to tell us? Did something happen with the baby?"

"No, no," Gabriella quickly assured him. "The baby's fine. It's just… I wanted to tell you some news about my mom." She paused to steady her voice. "She has thyroid cancer, Jack."

Jack blew out a heavy breath on the other end of the line. "Yeah, I'm so sorry to hear that, honey. How are you taking the news?"

"It's pretty scary," she confessed. "She's apparently been dealing with it for several months on her own, keeping me in the dark. I was really upset when I found out."

"I'm sure she was just trying to protect you," Jack offered. "But I'm glad they finally told you. Is she having any ill effects from the radiation therapy?"

"I don't think so. She just has to stay isolated for a few days after each treatment. After she finishes this round of treatments, they'll test her to see if any cancer cells are left."

"Well, I hope that everything turns out okay," Jack commented. "Did you tell her about the baby?"

"No. With the shock of the news, I completely forgot about it," Gabriella admitted.

"Make sure you let us know when you do. Lucille is dying to talk to her about it."

"I will. Tell Lucille I said hello, and be sure to tell her about my mom."

"Will do. She'll be glad to know that everything's finally out in the open. Hang in there, Gabriella. Everything will be okay. Bye."

As Gabriella hung up the phone, she frowned. Jack's final words confused her. _Everything's finally out in the open. _She silently replayed their conversation in her mind and realized that Jack had asked about Maria's radiation, even though Gabriella hadn't told him about the treatment. Her eyes widened with realization. Jack and Lucille had already known about Maria's illness.

Her anger began to build as she dialed the phone again and heard her mother's raspy voice answer.

"Mom, did you tell Jack and Lucille about your cancer?" Gabriella demanded without preamble.

"No, Gabi, I didn't," Maria answered firmly.

"Then how did they find out?" Gabriella asked.

"Well, my first guess would be from their son," Maria replied with a hint of sarcasm.

"I was with him all day yesterday, and he's working today," Gabriella insisted. "He hasn't had _time_ to talk to them."

"I'm sure he had plenty of opportunities to talk to them when they were there visiting," Maria snapped.

"But he didn't know then…" Gabriella trailed off as something niggled at the edge of her thoughts. What was it that Troy had said the previous morning? _She only has one more week of treatments. _And she realized what else Jack had let slip: _I'm glad they finally told you. _They. Maria… and Troy. Gabriella's stomach churned as the reality of the situation hit her hard. "He knew," she said flatly.

"I'm sorry, Gabi, I thought he told you."

Gabriella dropped into the nearest seat. She felt like she'd been punched in the gut. "H-how… how long… has he known?"

"A few weeks," Maria answered.

_A few weeks, _Gabi repeated in her mind, trying to understand.

"But I think he suspected when we were in Albuquerque for Mother's Day," Maria went on, oblivious to her daughter's pain. "He saw the scar on my neck and asked me about it." She was met with silence, and she sighed. "Gabi, please don't be upset with Troy. I asked him not to tell you until I finished treatment."

"Is there anything else, Mom?" Gabriella asked numbly. "Are you and Troy keeping any other secrets from me? Because I don't think I can take much more of this."

"Sweetie, please…" Maria began.

"Goodbye, Mom."

Gabriella ended the call and turned off her phone. It was too much. She sank her head into her hands and cried.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy climbed out of his car wearily, smiling when he noticed the freshly-turned dirt in the flower beds lining the front of the house. Gabriella had obviously kept herself busy, but he felt a tinge of guilt for not calling to check on her during his work day. His cell phone battery had died sometime that afternoon, and he'd been too busy in the ER to find a land line in a quiet spot to call her. He climbed the steps and slid his key into the lock.

"Gabriella?" he called, closing the door behind him.

There was no answer, but he heard shuffling in the bedroom, so he headed in that direction. When he pushed open the door, he was immediately struck by a sense of déjà vu. There was a small bag open on the bed with a few items of clothing inside. The top dresser drawer was open, and Gabriella stood unmoving in front of the open closet.

"Sweetheart, what's going on?" he asked anxiously, closing the distance between them to touch her arm. She was shaking, but she didn't acknowledge his presence. He gripped her shoulders and turned her, gasping when he saw her tear-stained face and puffy eyes. She'd obviously been crying for a long time. "Gabriella, what's _wrong? _What happened?"

She shook her head, refusing to meet his gaze as fresh tears slid down her cheeks. In place of the fiery anger he'd seen in her eyes on Friday, he now saw raw pain.

"How could you, Troy?" she whispered, her voice rough with emotion. "I've come to expect this kind of thing from my mom, but from _you? _How could you keep Mom's illness from me all this time? I _trusted _you."

Her words cut him to the core, and he reacted naturally, trying to slide his arms around her. She shrugged him away, and he raised his hands in surrender. "Gabriella, I'm so sorry," he told her. "I didn't want to keep it from you. Your mom insisted, and I was worried about you and the baby, especially after what happened with Martha. We were just trying to protect you."

Her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed. "How many times do I have to remind you and my mother that I am a _grown woman_?" She poked her finger into his chest as her voice rose and strengthened. "Why are you so convinced that I need protection? I'm sick of everyone walking on eggshells around me, thinking I'm going to crumble at the first sign of trouble. I'm stronger than you give me credit for, Troy Bolton!"

"I know you are, honey," he murmured.

"You and Mom, your parents… Who else knows? Who else have you discussed this with, since you didn't discuss it with me? I'm so stupid for not seeing it sooner."

"No one thinks you're stupid, Gabriella," he inserted, but her anger only intensified.

"Don't patronize me, Troy! We're supposed to have an equal partnership here! How can I trust you when you're keeping things from me? I thought our marriage meant more to you than that. I thought _I _meant more to you."

"Gabriella, come on!" His gentle tone disappeared in a wave of frustration. "You _know_ how much you mean to me. You're not being fair. I didn't _want _to keep this from you. Maria wanted to keep lying to you, even when you knew something was going on. I put my foot down. I told her she had to tell you. Doesn't that count for anything? I _never _meant to hurt you. Please, you have to believe that."

The fight drained out of her, and when she spoke again, her voice sounded flat and utterly defeated. "You didn't mean to hurt me… but you did."

She maneuvered herself around him and walked to the bed. She placed the shirt she held into the bag and zipped it shut. Swiping her arm across her wet face, she picked up the bag and turned away. Troy stood frozen, unable to believe what was happening. She was out of the bedroom before he finally regained his senses. Rushing after her, he gripped her arm to stop her, but she shook him off.

"Gabriella, please," he begged. "We need to talk about this."

She shook her head. "I can't," she said brokenly. "Not right now."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to get away," she told him. "It's too much…"

She swayed on her feet, and Troy automatically put out a hand to steady her. She shook him off again.

"There's no way I'm letting you drive while you're this upset," he insisted. "Come on, I'll take you anywhere you need to go."

"You can't," she replied. "Where I need to go is away from you."

"You don't mean that," he said roughly.

The doorbell rang, and Gabriella turned away from him to answer the door. Kelly stood on the porch, and Gabriella gave her a quick hug before walking out and getting into the passenger side of Kelly's car. Kelly looked from Gabriella back to Troy.

"Kelly, please…" Troy implored, feeling tears burning the backs of his eyes. "You have to understand…"

She touched his arm. "Troy, I'm not taking sides or getting in the middle of this. I'm just trying to be a friend."

"A _friend _wouldn't let her walk away like this," he replied angrily.

"She's been on an emotional roller coaster this weekend," Kelly replied. "She's overwhelmed. When she calms down and thinks it all through, she'll understand your point of view." She glanced over her shoulder and then winked at him. "I promise, I'll take very good care of her, and if all goes well, I'll have her back here in a few hours."

He nodded, not liking it at all, but realizing that he didn't have a say in the matter. He followed Kelly down the steps and leaned down to Gabriella's open window. He had to give it one more try.

"Gabriella, please," he choked. "Don't leave me like this. Come back inside and let's talk about it."

She looked at him miserably, her tears still flowing. "I'm sorry, Troy," she whispered. "I just need some time."

Kelly started the car. Troy reached in to cup his wife's cheek. She leaned into his touch for a split second, and then pulled away.

"I love you," he said hoarsely.

"I love you too," she whispered.

Then Kelly reversed out of the driveway, and the love of his life was gone. Troy watched the car disappear down the street, and then stumbled back into the house numbly.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella sulked in silence on the way to Mark and Kelly's place, and Kelly left her alone, giving her the opportunity to calm down. Mark's car was gone when they got there, and Kelly nodded with satisfaction. He'd gone to check on Troy. Once they were safely inside, Kelly set her hands on her hips.

"Okay, enough with the silence, Gabi. I know you've had a lousy few days, but why are you so upset with Troy?"

"He lied to me," Gabriella pouted.

"Oh?" Kelly challenged. "What did he say that wasn't true? Because from what you told me, your mom's the one who did the lying. Troy just kept quiet about it."

"Keeping secrets isn't much better!" Gabriella argued. "We're not supposed to have secrets from one another!"

"Like how you're working at Legal Aid in the Mission District?" Kelly fired back. "Because I'm pretty sure you've neglected to share that little piece of information with him."

"That's different! He's been tiptoeing around me like I'm going to break, and if he knew I was working in such a rough part of town, he'd make me quit."

Kelly tilted her head. "'Make you quit'? That doesn't sound like the Troy Bolton I know. He wants what's best for you, _especially_ now that you're pregnant. He's come face to face with losing you, _more than once, _so I think he's entitled to worry and want to protect you. Give the man a break!"

"Whose side are you on?" Gabriella demanded.

"I'm not on anyone's side. Gabi, I know all this is hard on you. I understand, I really do. You have a right to be upset, but you need to let this go for now. Troy loves you more than anything. So does your mom, even if it doesn't seem that way sometimes. She's got a lot to deal with, and she needs your support."

"She _doesn't _need me, that's the thing," Gabriella shot back. "She's been going through this alone for _months, _and I had no idea. She said she didn't want to worry me, but that doesn't excuse her secrecy. I had a right to know. She was being selfish."

Kelly stared back at her friend. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you keep your fibroids a secret from your mom? The only reason she found out is because Troy called her while you were in surgery."

Gabriella's face hardened. "That's different," she repeated stubbornly.

Kelly didn't back down. "How? How is it different? You didn't want to tell your mom about your surgery because you were afraid she didn't care. Obviously she _does _care, because she's gone through a good deal of pain and uncertainly alone to protect you."

"I don't need protection," Gabriella snapped. "I need my mom to be part of my life."

Kelly covered her friend's hands with her own. "It goes both ways, honey."

Gabriella opened her mouth and then closed it again. She was all at once complaining that her mom didn't care _enough _and that Troy cared _too much. _That wasn't fair to either of them, she realized. Kelly was right—she had to let it go.

...~«ώ»~...

The phone rang, and Troy squinted at the clock beside the bed. Almost 5:00 a.m. He was surprised that he'd actually fallen asleep after tossing and turning most of the night. Kelly had called him the night before to report that Gabriella was okay. She'd fallen into an exhausted sleep on the Davis' couch, and Kelly had offered to wake her and bring her home. As much as Troy had wanted to clear the air between them, though, he'd reluctantly agreed that she should stay there and rest after all the stress she'd been through. Kelly had promised to bring her home first thing this morning. Troy grabbed the phone and answered with a gruff 'hello.'

"Troy, it's Mark. Don't freak out on me, okay?" That warning alone made Troy's blood run cold. Mark continued, "We're taking Gabi to the hospital, so you need to meet us there."

Troy gasped and sat up in bed. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"She woke up crying for you, man," Mark told him grimly. "She's cramping really bad, and she's freaking out thinking that she's going to lose the baby."

"Dear God," Troy breathed as his brain shifted into overdrive. What if their argument had put too much stress on her already-fragile body? She would never, ever forgive him if he caused her to miscarry. "I'm coming to your house. I'll be there in ten."

"Troy, no," Mark insisted. "Kelly's getting her into the car now. Dr. Grant is meeting us at the hospital. We're not waiting for you here."

"Okay," he agreed reluctantly. "Mark, tell her…" He couldn't get the rest of the sentence out around the lump in his throat.

Thankfully, Mark understood. "I will. See you in a few."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy drove like a maniac on the way to the hospital, and when he arrived, the ER nurse pointed him towards the room where Gabriella was located. He yanked back the sliding door and charged in, and Gabriella let out an anguished sob when she saw him there.

"Troy," she cried. He surged forward, sat on the side of the bed, and took her in his arms. He didn't care about the unresolved disagreement between them; she needed him, and he needed to be there for her. She sobbed against his chest, clinging to him as if she'd feared he wouldn't come. Troy glanced over at Kelly, whose eyes were also swimming with tears. His gut clenched. Had she already lost the baby?

"Dr. Grant isn't here yet," Kelly answered, seeming to sense Troy's unasked question. He nodded gratefully and returned his attention to his distraught wife.

"I'm so sorry, Troy," she wailed. "I shouldn't have gotten so upset with you. It wasn't your fault, and I shouldn't have blamed you. It's my fault. I should've taken better care of myself. I should've…"

"Stop," he interrupted softly but sternly. "This is not your fault, Gabriella. I should've told you sooner. I was trying to protect you from stress, and I ended up causing you more pain. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

"Okay, both of you stop," Kelly interrupted firmly. "This blame game is not helping anyone right now, and we don't even know that anything is seriously wrong. There's no bleeding—that's a good sign. So quit assuming the worst and get your emotions under control before Dr. Grant gets here."

The couple stared at Kelly incredulously, and even Mark looked startled by her bluntness. Dr. Grant appeared then, and Mark and Kelly stepped out to give Gabriella privacy for her exam.

"What seems to be the trouble?" Dr. Grant asked, getting right down to business as she skimmed over the data on Gabriella's chart.

"Awful cramping," Gabriella told her. "For several hours."

"Show me where," the doctor ordered. Gabriella's hand swept across her abdomen, and Dr. Grant palpated all around. Gabriella flinched, and then sucked in a breath, and finally cried out as Dr. Grant's fingers found the area that hurt the most.

"Have you had any spotting?" Dr. Grant asked. Gabriella shook her head. "Okay, lie back, and I'm going to take a look."

She slid the stirrups into position and draped a sheet over Gabriella's bare legs. Troy held his wife's hand, squeezing it reassuringly from time to time. She watched him fearfully, and he tried his best to hide his own worry.

When Dr. Grant finished, she lowered her patient's feet back to the bed and covered her.

"Gabriella, did you do anything strenuous yesterday? Lifting, bending, stretching, anything like that?"

"I… I worked in the garden," Gabriella admitted. "But I was sitting almost the whole time! And I took breaks…"

Dr. Grant nodded crisply and excused herself to go retrieve a machine.

"I'm sorry, Troy," Gabriella whispered. "I shouldn't have worked so hard… I needed a distraction… what… what if…?"

"Hey, no more talk like that," he instructed gently. "It's not your fault, sweetheart."

Dr. Grant returned with a handheld device and a bottle of ultrasound gel.

"This is a fetal Doppler monitor," she explained. "It's similar to an ultrasound, but it doesn't generate pictures, only sound. I'm going to try to find the baby's heartbeat."

She uncovered Gabriella's stomach and squirted a liberal amount of gel on it. Gabriella watched wide-eyed, afraid of what the doctor might, or might not, hear. Dr. Grant connected small earphones to the Doppler and placed the buds in her ears. She pressed the device against Gabriella's skin, sliding it around slowly. She searched and searched, seeming to take an eternity. Troy watched Dr. Grant's face, but it gave nothing away. _Why was it taking so long? _Gabriella drew a shaky breath, and Troy looked down to see tears pooling in her eyes. He held her hand in both of his, and they stared at the moving probe, silently praying for Dr. Grant to find what she was looking for.

The probe suddenly stopped moving and pressed more firmly against Gabriella's abdomen. Troy looked up to see a slow smile spread across the doctor's face. She pulled the earphone jack out of the device and adjusted the volume, and in the quiet of the room, they heard a faint but steady pulse from the Doppler.

"That…" Dr. Grant grinned, "is your baby's heartbeat."

Troy's eyes met Gabriella's, and the look of wonder there melted his heart. The tears that had threatened now fell freely down her cheeks, but they were tears of happiness, and they matched his own.

"Oh, Troy," she whispered, overwhelmed.

He leaned down to kiss her, and she threw her arms around him, pulling him as close as she could. They listened with amazement to the sound of their baby's heart, beating rapidly in its mother's womb. It was a moment of profound wonder.

"The baby's heart rate is right around 160 beats per minute," Dr. Grant told them. "Perfect for this stage of the pregnancy."

"So the baby's okay?" Gabriella asked breathlessly.

"The baby's fine," Dr. Grant assured them. "We'll do some more tests in my office, since you already have an appointment scheduled this week, but everything appears to be all right." She switched off the machine and wiped the gel off of Gabriella's skin. "Go ahead and get dressed, and then I'll go over discharge instructions with you."

"Thank you, Doctor," Troy murmured.

"My pleasure," Dr. Grant replied, slipping quietly out of the room as the couple's attention returned to each other. Gabriella sat up, and Troy pulled her to her feet, into a crushing embrace.

"I'm sorry…" he began.

Gabriella shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Nothing matters right now but us. You, me, and our baby. Everything else can wait."

So instead of talking, they kissed, slowly and deeply, celebrating their future and their family. Gabriella was right—everything else could wait.


	29. Opening Up

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 29—Opening Up**

**A/N: **_Thanks again to Robin for her valuable input and encouragement, and to Isabella for helping me reconnect Gabriella with her Spanish roots.  
_**This chapter is rated M.**

After Dr. Grant discharged Gabriella from the hospital with orders to take it easy until her scheduled appointment the next day, Troy helped her into a wheelchair. She argued against the need for it, but after the scare they'd endured, he was insistent. As he wheeled her towards the exit, he spotted Dr. Gould approaching and glanced at his watch nervously.

"Dr. Gould, I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm going to make it for rounds this morning," he announced apologetically.

She held up her hands to stop him. "It's okay. Dr. Davis already found me and explained what happened." Her gaze shifted to Gabriella. "I hope everything's all right."

Gabriella nodded. "Thankfully, it is."

Troy checked his watch again. "I need to take Gabriella home and get her settled," he told Dr. Gould. "I'll be back for my shift in about an hour."

Dr. Gould shook her head. "You're sleep-deprived and worried about your wife. I don't need unfocused residents on my service. Go home, rest, and get things settled, and then come back for your meeting with Dr. Overman this afternoon."

"Thank you," Troy breathed. Dr. Gould reached out to squeeze Gabriella's shoulder.

"Take care of yourself," she instructed with a smile before hustling down the corridor.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy and Gabriella decided to get some rest before they talked about their disagreement, since neither of them had been able to sleep much the night before. When they got home, they trudged into the bedroom, where the covers were thrown to the side from Troy's rapid departure earlier that morning. Not bothering to change, Gabriella laid down. Troy pulled off his shirt and lowered himself wearily onto the bed, spooning his body behind hers and pulling her close.

"This bed is so much better with you in it," he murmured against her hair. "I missed you last night."

"I missed you too," she answered softly. "When I woke up with those terrible stomach pains, and you weren't beside me…" Her voice wavered. "It was awful, Troy."

With his hand on her hip, Troy turned her to face him, and she buried her face into his neck. He pressed soft kisses against her forehead and rubbed her back gently.

"I'm glad everything turned out okay," he breathed. "I would never have forgiven myself if something had happened to the baby, or to you."

Gabriella looked up at him in surprise. "It wouldn't have been your fault. I shouldn't have left. It was my fault…"

Troy stopped her with a finger on her lips. "It's nobody's fault. All that matters is that we're okay, the baby is fine, and you're back in my arms where you belong."

She smiled and kissed the underside of his stubbly chin before settling her cheek back into his throat. "I love you, Troy."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

...~«ώ»~...

When Gabriella awoke just after 11 am, it was to Troy's slow, sensuous kisses along the edges of her face. She smiled up at him, and he leaned in to cover her mouth with his.

"This feels naughty somehow," she commented when they separated. "Lying in bed kissing in the middle of the day on a Monday."

Troy chuckled. "I can't think of a better way to start the work week—with a little naughtiness."

"I hope my husband doesn't come home early and find me in bed with you," she teased.

"Bring it on," Troy growled playfully. "You're _my _lover. I'll fight him for you." He was a bit surprised, after everything she'd dealt with over the weekend, that she was initiating a role-playing game that they occasionally played in bed. But maybe this was exactly what she needed—a brief escape from the stress of reality—and he was a very willing participant.

Gabriella rolled onto her back and fanned herself, getting into the game. "He doesn't know I have a lover. I don't know what he'd do if he found out."

Troy moved closer to her and spread his hand possessively across her stomach. "Does he know that this is _my _baby you're carrying?"

"How do _you_ know?" she demanded. "It could be his."

"I fill you up with my come every time we make love," Troy countered roughly. "I made you pregnant, and I'll do whatever it takes to claim you, to have you in my bed, heavy with my child."

"Oh?" Her eyebrows arched. "Then maybe you should put your money where your mouth is, big boy."

Troy rolled quickly, catching her off guard as he supported himself above her. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You know exactly where my mouth is going to be, making you writhe and scream. My name will be on your lips, not his." He raked his teeth across her earlobe, and she shuddered in response.

He kissed her hard, forcing his tongue into her mouth, and she feebly resisted for a few moments before giving in with a contented sigh. He lowered his body completely onto hers, pinning her hands next to her head and plundering her mouth. Somewhere in the madness of the kiss he released one of her hands and dipped his fingers below her waistband, touching her intimately. He pulled back to glare at her accusingly.

"You're wet," he fumed. "Have you already made love this morning? With him?"

"No!" Gabriella shook her head so hard that a shock of hair fell across her face. Slipping out of character for a moment, he reached up to tenderly brush it away. Then he leaned close again.

"You're a bad girl," he accused lowly. "If he didn't make you wet, then who did? Did you touch yourself before I arrived? Were you thinking about me, imagining my cock pounding into you?"

"I… I _was _thinking of you," she admitted, grinding her hips against his erection. "I couldn't help it. You're so big and hard, when you're inside me I feel like I'm going to split in two."

Troy slithered down her body, pulling off her clothing as he went. He settled between her legs and watched her face as his mouth closed over her. She cried out, tunneling her fingers through his hair to hold him in place. Her hips lifted off the bed, grinding against his face.

"What about this?" he pulled away to ask, replacing his lips with his fingers. "Does he make love to you with his mouth? Answer me!"

"Please," she whimpered as her head thrashed back and forth on the pillow.

Troy's mouth resettled on her, and he licked and nipped and thrust until her legs began to shake and breathless cries gurgled up her throat. He felt the moment her climax took over, and he smiled against her as he kept up his rhythm to prolong her pleasure. Finally her muscles relaxed, her eyes fluttered shut, and a small smile teased the corners of her mouth. He relaxed and watched her, thinking that she'd drifted off. He shifted, his penis still painfully hard, and started to move away when her eyes opened to regard him sultrily.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked. "My husband won't be home for hours. I'm not finished with you yet."

"Baby, that's the best news I've heard all day," he answered roughly, sliding back up her body to kiss her again. He grinded his erection against her abdomen, showing her what she'd done to him.

"My, what a big cock you have," she teased.

Troy scraped his teeth along her jaw before he answered. "It'll be even bigger when it's throbbing inside you."

Gabriella shuddered, but maintained her saucy character. "Not yet. Not until I taste you." Slipping her hands under his waistband, she sunk her fingernails into his backside and squeezed.

He rolled onto his back, quickly shucking his pants and boxers, and squeezed his eyes closed in anticipation. When she didn't move from her spot, he looked over at her, confused. She was still lying on her back, watching him through heavy eyelids.

"I thought you said…" he began.

"You want it, you come to me," she ordered. Thinking he'd misunderstood her intent, he rolled back onto her, his penis hovering over her core, preparing to enter her. He lowered his head to kiss her, but she shook her head.

"I said I wanted to _taste_ you," she insisted. She grabbed his backside again, pulling him toward her face.

Finally understanding her intent, Troy balked. He didn't like to use positions of extreme dominance in bed, particularly after her attack two years before, and yet what she was asking for was about as dominating as he could get. She would be completely vulnerable… "Sweetie, I'm not sure…"

This time_ she_ slipped out of character, touching his face. "I trust you, Troy. Please, I want to do this for you." Then her expression slid back into seductress mode, and she pulled at him again.

Obediently, he scooted up her body, settling with his knees under her armpits. Cautiously he took her hands and lifted them over her head, pinning them against the pillow with his own. His erection bobbed in front of her face, and Troy nearly exploded when she licked her plump lips hungrily.

"Tell me what you want from me," she demanded.

He scooted down and kissed her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth in an obvious demonstration of what he wanted her to do with his penis. When he pulled back, she looked at him innocently, pretending that she didn't know what he meant. He moved so his mouth was a whisper away from her ear.

"I want you to suck my cock," he told her crassly, and punctuated it with a bite on the shell of her ear. "I want to feel the back of your throat, baby. And I want you to think about how much bigger and better I am than your husband."

By the time he moved back into position and straightened, her lips had closed around his tip. Her tongue swirled around him before taking him deeper, and he watched her intently. His dirty words had obviously hit home; her arousal showed in the blush of her cheeks and the dilation of her pupils. Releasing one of her hands, he held the back of her head up and thrust gently into her mouth. Despite their game, he had no intention of letting this go too far. When she let out a little cough, he abruptly pulled back and off of her. Needing a minute to regain control, Troy laid on his side next to her, turning her chin to face him.

"Do you know how much I love watching you do that?" he asked softly, his gruff "secret lover" act on hold for the moment. "It's incredible."

"Then why did you stop me?" she asked sharply, carrying on her seductive character. "Do you stop your _wife _when she goes down on you?"

"How do you know that I'm married?" he demanded.

"You say her name when you're sleeping in _my _bed," Gabriella told him. "How do you think that makes me feel?"

"I _know_ how you feel," he growled. "Like a naughty girl who sleeps with other men and gets pregnant with their babies."

"Only you," she insisted. "You're my only lover."

"Me and your _husband,_" he spat. "You love him, don't you?"

She nodded, unable to deny it even in the midst of their game. He suddenly sat up and shifted, gripping her hips to pull her up alongside him. She glared at him defiantly. He flipped her and pushed her down, not too hard, just enough to elicit a surprised gasp.

"On your hands and knees," he demanded. "I'm going to do you from behind, so you can think about your husband. You can imagine that it's his cock inside you."

"I want _your _cock in me," she insisted. "_Now!_"

Gabriella arched her back and crouched on her limbs like a cat hunting prey, sticking her cute backside up in invitation. Troy didn't need to be told twice. He lined up behind her and entered her with one sleek stroke. She gasped as he filled her, and he lowered himself onto her body, pressing her against the mattress. He withdrew and plunged back in, enjoying the rush of air that she blew out.

"Do you like it like that?" he asked in her ear. Careful to balance his weight on one arm, he slid his other hand under her body to pluck and squeeze her breasts.

"H-harder," she whispered. Brushing her hair to the side, Troy licked and nipped her back, shoulders, and neck while he sped his thrusts into her. The pressure built, and he felt her internal muscles squeeze into a second orgasm. He lowered his weight back onto her and kissed her cheek. She turned her head to meet his lips and they kissed deeply for a few moments.

"Troy," she murmured. That was her signal that the game was over. She wanted to finish their love-making as husband and wife.

"I'm here, baby," he answered softly, pulling out and turning her onto her back before covering her again with his body, bracing his weight on his forearms.

She cupped his face with her hands and brought his lips down to hers. He kissed her tenderly, so lost in her sweetness that he didn't notice her hand between them until her fingers wrapped around his erection. She guided him to her core, and he rose up enough so they could both watch as he slid back inside her. Troy's thrusts started slowly as he tried to prolong the intimate coupling, but when Gabriella lifted her hips to take him deeper, he was lost. He kissed her as they made love, and when he lacked the air to continue, he buried his face in her neck and thrust with all his might.

Gabriella's hands squeezed his backside, and she felt the pull and bunch of his muscles as his orgasm hit. He pulsed inside her, spilling wave after wave of semen. When his climax began to subside, he rolled onto his side, pulling her with him to keep their bodies intimately joined.

"I love you, Gabriella," he murmured, brushing the hair away from her face. "Only you."

She snuggled into his chest, looking as sated and content as he'd ever seen her. "No other man could ever make me feel the way you do. I love you, Troy."

He smiled and kissed the top of her head, holding her close. Naughty or sweet, it didn't matter to him. She was his girl no matter what.

...~«ώ»~...

After a short snooze, Troy got up to use the bathroom and slipped his boxers on before returning to bed. He chuckled when he pulled back the covers and saw that Gabriella had pulled on his t-shirt while he was gone. He slid in beside her, and she cuddled up against him. They lay on their sides, facing each other, their hands idly stroking their lover's body.

"Are you hungry?" he asked indulgently.

"Maybe in a little while," she answered, looking up at him intently. "Troy, I'm really sorry for leaving last night. I was upset, but that wasn't the right way to handle it. I know I overreacted. The whole weekend was just… so overwhelming."

Troy's thumb brushed across her cheek. "I know, sweetheart, and I'm going to do everything I possibly can to help you get through this. But no more running away, okay? Whatever happens, we'll face it together."

She nodded, and he took a deep breath. His eyes dropped for a moment, and then he forced his gaze back to hers.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about your mom's illness," he told her. "I was worried about you." She started to protest, but he put a finger to her lips. "I know you're a grown woman, but I can't help it. I want to, _need to,_ protect you and take care of you. It's always been that way. I'm crazy about you, Gabriella." His hand tunneled into her hair, and he pulled her closer to kiss her.

When they separated, she looked up at him and her face fell. "I love that you take care of me, Troy. It just… bothers me… that you've had to do it so much lately."

He frowned. "Why does that bother you? It certainly doesn't bother _me_!"

"We're supposed to take care of each other," she argued. "It's… unfair to you that you're doing all the work."

Troy's head tilted as he tried to decipher her meaning. "Are you saying that you think you're not contributing anything to our relationship?"

Her eyes dropped. "Yeah, I guess so."

He lifted her chin again. "Then _I'm_ saying that you're dead wrong. Do you remember when I got hurt playing basketball in college?" She nodded, confused. "I had surgery and months of physical therapy, couldn't drive for awhile, missed a few weeks of class, and as I remember, I wasn't the most pleasant person to be around during that time."

"It wasn't that bad," she murmured.

"It _was_ that bad," he insisted. "I was so busy feeling sorry for myself, wondering if I'd be able to play basketball again, that I didn't appreciate everything you did to help me and take care of me. Tell me something—What did _I _contribute to the relationship during that time?"

She chewed her bottom lip as she thought, and then shrugged. "You were there. You loved me. I liked taking care of you. It made me feel… needed."

"Exactly," he nodded triumphantly. "You made that sacrifice, without complaint, for me. For _us_. Marriage is give and take. It goes both ways. I _love_ taking care of you, Gabriella. I love that you need me in your life as much as I need you in mine."

She smiled up at him, the kind of smile that melted his heart, and his arms tightened around her. He would have loved nothing more than to stay there all day, holding her and reconnecting, but he had to go back to the hospital to meet with Dr. Overman about his field assignment. He dusted a light kiss on her forehead and then reluctantly sat up.

"What sounds good for lunch?" he asked.

Her brows furrowed as she thought, and then her face lit up. "Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream!" She thought some more. "And peanut butter!"

She clapped her hands excitedly, and Troy laughed as he stood and pulled on a pair of shorts. "Well, I guess that's one question I can cross off my list to ask Dr. Grant tomorrow."

Gabriella frowned. "What?"

"When the weird food cravings start," he grinned.

She folded her arms and pouted. "It's not weird!"

He leaned back onto the bed to kiss her, nibbling on her bottom lip when she refused to relinquish her pout. "Whatever you say, babe. One waffle with strawberries, whipped cream, and peanut butter, coming right up!"

"You're not having one?" she asked.

Troy laughed again and shook his head. "I don't have the pregnant woman palate to pull that off. I'll make it for you, and then you're on your own."

...~«ώ»~...

After his meeting with Dr. Overman, Troy returned home to find Gabriella still in bed, exactly where he'd left her. Concerned, he flattened his hand on her forehead, and her eyes fluttered open. She blinked dazedly.

"What time is it?"

"Almost 5:00," he answered with a frown. "Are you all right?"

Her face fell. "I'm so sorry, Troy. I was going to fix a nice dinner, but I got up and the room starting spinning and I had to lie back down. I didn't mean to fall asleep again…"

"Hey, it's okay," he soothed. "How do you feel now?"

"My head hurts," she admitted.

"You look a little pale," he observed, cupping her cheek with his palm. "Would you like me to make you a cold compress?"

She nodded wryly. "Here you are, taking care of me again."

Troy kicked his shoes off and settled next to her on the bed, pulling her head against his chest. "Gabriella, we already settled this." His hand dipped under her shirt to caress her belly. "I'm taking care of you, and you're taking care of our baby. If you feel tired, or sick, or light-headed, it's because your body's telling you to take it easy." He nuzzled his chin against her temple. "And it's telling _me _to give you a little extra TLC."

Gabriella smiled up at him. "Maybe it's telling you that you wore me out this morning."

He chuckled at her teasing. "Ah, you've discovered my ulterior motive for taking care of you. I like to keep my lover healthy and well-rested."

"Your lover is still waiting for that cold compress," she reminded him.

"Coming right up," he promised, kissing her quickly before easing away from her.

Walking to the kitchen, Troy thought about his meeting with Dr. Overman that afternoon. The realization that he'd be in Sacramento in two short weeks made his stomach churn. Who'd be there to take care of Gabriella then?

...~«ώ»~...

The next afternoon, Troy and Gabriella sat anxiously in Dr. Grant's office as she leafed through Gabriella's blood test results. She sighed as she looked up at the couple.

"There are a few things I'm concerned about," she began. "Gabriella, you've lost almost eight pounds since your appointment four weeks ago. It's not unusual for expectant mothers to lose a few pounds in the first month or two of pregnancy, but this is a significant portion of your body weight. We need to determine a course of treatment to get your nausea and vomiting under control and boost your caloric intake. I'm going to start you on some vitamin B6 and an anti-reflux medication."

"Is that safe for the baby?" Gabriella asked nervously, glancing at Troy.

"In this case, your health outweighs the potential risk to the baby," Dr. Grant said gently. "This pregnancy is taking a toll on your body, Gabriella, more than you've been willing to admit."

Gabriella glanced down guiltily, and Troy rubbed a supportive hand on her back. "She's been a real trooper," he praised before looking intently at the doctor. "How can she take pills several times a day when she's having trouble keeping food in her stomach?"

"If you're unable to keep down the pills, we'll have to go to IV treatment. But hopefully that won't be necessary." Dr. Grant looked down at her folder again. "The hematocrit test from yesterday shows that the iron level in your blood is lower than last month. That's probably why you've been feeling dizzy and tired. We'll need to monitor it closely to make sure you don't become anemic."

"What about an iron supplement?" Troy asked.

Dr. Grant shook her head. "Iron supplements tend to irritate the digestive system, so we have to get the nausea and vomiting under control first. I can give you a list of iron-rich foods to eat—that should help."

"What will happen to the baby if its iron is too low?" Gabriella worried.

"Babies do a good job of taking care of their needs in the womb," Dr. Grant explained. "Unless you become severely deficient, there won't be any adverse effect on the baby." She eyed Gabriella sternly. "There _could, _however, be an adverse effect on _you,_ which is why I want to monitor your condition carefully. I'm not confining you to bed rest at this point, but I want you to take a week off from work and take it easy. Avoid stress as much as possible, and get plenty of rest. I want to see you again next week for a progress check, and then we can decide where to go from there."

Troy swallowed hard, making an effort to hide the worry in his voice. "Dr. Grant, I'm scheduled to start my team physician rotation in Sacramento in less than two weeks. What… I mean, how…?" He scrubbed his hands over his face. "Should I ask to be reassigned? I don't want to be away from Gabriella if her health is in question."

"No!" Gabriella insisted. "You can't turn down an opportunity like this because of me!"

"Troy, I can't tell you what to do," Dr. Grant told him. "I understand your concern, but hopefully Gabriella will respond to treatment and show progress by next week. If that's the case, then there shouldn't be a problem with leaving her alone."

"And if she doesn't respond?" Troy challenged.

"One hurdle at a time," Dr. Grant answered calmly. "I know that's probably not the answer you want to hear, but for now, it's all I've got."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy and Gabriella were quiet as they walked back to their car, their joined hands swinging between them. Finally, Gabriella cleared her throat.

"I know I'm not supposed to work, but do think maybe we could stop by the Legal Aid office to pick up some case files?" Anticipating Troy's opposition, she rushed on. "Reading case files at home is not strenuous, and I need something to occupy my mind. Please, Troy?"

He stared at her for a moment before giving a quick nod and opening her car door. Before she slid in, she stretched up and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you," she told him. He circled the car and settled in the driver's seat.

"I know the office is near Hastings, but you'll have to point me in the right direction when we get close," he instructed as he put the car into gear.

Gabriella's teeth sank into her bottom lip. "Um… There _is _a Legal Aid office near Hastings, but that's not where I've been working."

Troy frowned in her direction before returning his attention to the road. "You've been working there a couple of weeks now. Why am I just hearing about this now?"

Her eyes dropped, and she nervously twirled a black curl around her finger. "I got upset with you for keeping a secret from me, and I realized that I was doing the same thing." She looked at him earnestly, hoping he would understand. "Since I'm working mainly with Hispanics, I was… um… assigned to the branch office… in the Mission District."

Troy didn't immediately respond, but his mouth narrowed into a tight line, and a muscle in his jaw ticked. She watched the play of emotions across his face, and braced herself for his angry tirade. It never came. He drove in silence, following the quiet directions she gave him. When they reached the office, Gabriella glanced at him nervously.

"If you want to circle the block, I'll run in and get the files," she offered.

Instead, Troy swung the car into a parking spot and turned off the engine. Then he climbed out and walked around to meet her as she stood. To her surprise, he took her hand and walked beside her to the entrance. Once inside, they were engulfed in the bustle of the busy, understaffed office.

"Gabi!" An older Hispanic woman—Troy guessed her to be in her 40s—came around her desk to hug Gabriella. "I thought you weren't coming in today. How are you feeling? How is the _bebé_?"

"The baby is fine," Gabriella answered. "Sonja, this is my husband Troy. Troy, this is Sonja Ferrente. She's been showing me the ropes around here."

Sonja scoffed. "She doesn't need my help. She's a smart girl." She extended her hand to Troy, and he shook it politely. "It's nice to meet you, Troy. Gabi's told me a lot about you." She turned to wink at Gabriella. _"¡Pero no nos habías contado lo guapo que es!"_

Gabriella smiled warmly, sliding her hands around Troy's arm. _"El es un hombre maravilloso. Yo tengo mucho suerte."_

"You _are _very lucky," Sonja echoed.

"It's nice to meet you, Sonja," Troy replied.

Gabriella briefly explained Dr. Grant's orders, and Sonja disappeared into a back room, reemerging minutes later with an armload of bulging manila folders. Troy stepped forward to help, and she gratefully surrendered them. As soon as her arms were free, she engulfed Gabriella in a motherly hug.

"Take care of yourself, amiga," Sonja instructed.

"I will," Gabriella promised. She turned toward the door, waving at several other employees as she passed. Troy, despite his ire, was pleased to see how comfortable she was in this environment. He couldn't help but smile as he watched her interact with colleagues and clients alike, and he felt his irritation fade.

Back outside, he laid the folders in the back seat and then caught her hand as she opened her car door. He cocked his head to the side. "Sweetheart, why didn't you want to tell me that you were working here?"

Gabriella tried to look down, but he tipped her chin up. "I didn't want you to worry about me. I was… afraid you wouldn't want me to work here."

"Hey," he said softly, tracing his thumb across her cheek. "It's my _job_ to worry about you."

"And you're good at it," she smiled.

"I've had years of practice," he returned with a grin. Then he grew serious again. "Remember how I told you a few weeks ago that I need to let you trust your instincts?"

"The day I cut my hand," she recalled.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I'm not thrilled that you're working in this part of town, and I wish you would've told me sooner. But you're good at what you do, and I know how much you enjoy being an advocate for Hispanic people. You obviously feel safe and comfortable here, and that's good enough for me."

She looked at him incredulously. "You're really okay with this?"

Troy chuckled. "Don't look so surprised, sweetheart. The point is moot for the time being anyway. You're not going to be working here or _anywhere _until you're healthy again. That's what matters to me the most."

Gabriella slid her arms around his waist. "Thank you, Troy."

He hugged her back, playfully tickling her side. "Are you going to tell me what you and Sonja were talking about in there? In Spanish?"

Gabriella's cheeks reddened adorably. "She said you were handsome, and I agreed. I said that you're a wonderful man, and I'm very lucky to have you."

He chuckled and pulled her close. "I could argue that I'm the lucky one, but let's just agree that we're both pretty damn lucky."

She looked up into his eyes and smiled. "Agreed."

"That's my girl," he said with a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Come on, sweetheart, let's go home."

...~«ώ»~...

_A/N: Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers. Know what I'm thankful for? Reviews! _


	30. One Step at a Time

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

_A/N: It's been a tough week for all of us, and it was extraordinarily difficult to finish writing this chapter. We, like Troy and Gabriella, just need to take things one step at a time, and we'll be okay. Immense thanks to Robin for helping me survive this week, and also to Marie for making me smile and encouraging me to keep writing. *Hugs* to everyone._

* * *

**Chapter 30—One Step at a Time**

Troy closed his eyes, struggling to clear his mind as his father had taught him on the basketball court. He gripped the familiar tacky surface of his basketball, bent his knees, and opened his eyes as he shot the ball. It hit the rim and banked to the right, just like his previous fifteen shots had. He jogged after it and, on a whim, flopped onto the grass beside it. His arm slid over his face to shield his eyes from the setting sun, and he quit trying to fight the swirling of his mind. He lifted his arm long enough to peek at the window of the bedroom where Gabriella slept. After her appointment with Dr. Grant, a stop at the Legal Aid office, and a quiet dinner, she'd laid down to try to calm her queasy stomach.

Troy felt a moment of envy at how easily Gabriella could let go and fall asleep, but he quickly checked himself. Very little about her existence was "easy" at the moment. The pregnancy was taking a toll on her small body, and though she was frustrated with her fatigue and weakness, Troy was proud of her strength and determination. Still, he worried about her, even more since their visit with Dr. Grant. The veteran doctor was concerned, and that concerned Troy. On top of that, she was working at Legal Aid in an area of town with a higher-than-average crime rate. Despite what he'd told Gabriella, he was _not _okay with her working there. With the memories of their last argument and subsequent scare with the baby fresh on his mind, though, he'd managed to tamp down his irritation at her lie by omission.

With renewed vigor, Troy pushed himself up, plucked the ball off the grass, and returned to the driveway, where he resumed his shooting with a vengeance. His focus wasn't any better this time around, and he missed shot after shot before hurling the ball across the front yard, growling in frustration. Only then did he see Gabriella sitting on the front porch swing, watching with concern. Abandoning the ball, Troy jogged up the porch steps, leaning casually against the railing in front of his wife.

"How was your nap?" he asked cheerfully. She wasn't fooled.

"Troy, what's going on?" she asked, ignoring his question. "I haven't seen you play that badly in a long time."

He frowned, wiping an arm across his sweaty face. "Geez, thanks a lot, babe. You sure know how to hit a man where it hurts."

"That's not what I meant," she defended. "I've watched you play basketball for _years_, and I _know _you can shoot better than that. The only time you have trouble is when something's bothering you."

"I'm fine," he answered a little too quickly, a little too defensively.

"Troy…" she pushed.

"I said I'm fine!" he snapped. He half-expected her to well up with tears, but instead she simply watched him stoically. He blew out a long sigh before he spoke again. "I'm really sweaty and gross right now. Give me ten minutes to shower and change, and then I'll be back, okay?"

She nodded quietly, and he bent to kiss her forehead. He had to get his emotions under control before he talked to Gabriella, so he made his way into the house for a cold shower.

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy emerged from the house ten minutes later, his hair was damp and unruly, and he'd pulled on a clean t-shirt and shorts. Gabriella still sat on the porch swing, and she smiled tentatively when he sat next to her and pulled her legs across his lap.

"You never answered my question," he began. "How was your nap?"

"It was fine," she replied softly. "And you never answered my question either." She stared at him intently. "Troy, what's wrong? Please talk to me."

He had no angry retort this time, just a resigned shrug. "I wish you would've told me about your Legal Aid job sooner."

She sighed. "I had a feeling that you weren't quite as okay about it as you let on."

"You know that's a rough part of town, Gabriella. There's a lot of drug and gang activity in that area, and I don't like the idea of you being there alone."

"I'm always really careful," she tried to soothe. "We always walk out to our cars in pairs, and I keep my doors locked and my windows up when I'm driving through. And I'm never there after dark."

"What if that's not enough? You can't control other people's behavior," he replied, looking at her earnestly. "I don't want to be the kind of husband that dictates what you can and can't do, but I also can't shake the feeling that something could happen to you while I'm in Sacramento." His voice cracked, and he stroked her bare leg on his lap. "I couldn't bear it if something happened to you."

Gabriella covered his hand with hers. "Okay, Troy, I understand. I'll talk to Sonja and see if I can transfer to a different office, or just keep researching case files from home like I'm doing now, at least on the days that you're out of town. That is, if Dr. Grant clears me to work again." She frowned as her thoughts clicked into place. "Why didn't you tell me before that you didn't want me to work there? Was it because I'm not supposed to work right now anyway?"

"Partly," Troy muttered.

"What else?" she asked softly.

"It's not just the job." He turned away to stare out at the quiet street in front of the house. "I'm worried about _you_, Gabriella."

She laughed softly. "You _always _worry about me, Troy. I thought we already covered that. You said it's your job, remember?"

He turned toward her abruptly, the intensity of his gaze causing her to suck in a breath. "Gabriella. Listen to me. It's not the same. I'm _worried sick _about your health. I'm not sure you understand how serious your condition is right now."

"But Dr. Grant said the baby's doing okay…" she began to argue.

"I'm not talking about the baby!" he retorted louder than he'd meant to. Lowering his voice, he continued, "I'm glad that the baby's okay, but sweetheart, I'm really worried about _you_. I hate that you're suffering so much with this pregnancy. I wish more than anything that I could take away your pain and bear it for you."

Gabriella's face softened, and her voice was barely above a whisper. "Troy, this baby is something that we _both _want, and we _both _are responsible for. After all the uncertainty… about whether we could even have a baby…" She shook her head, trying to voice her thoughts. "I'll admit that this pregnancy is a _lot_ harder than I expected, but considering the alternative—not being able to get pregnant—I am more than willing to deal with whatever my hormones throw at me. I keep telling myself that it'll all be worth it in the end."

He palmed her cheek. "It _will _be, but only if you're healthy and strong enough to celebrate our child's birth. Gabriella, you can't sacrifice your own health for the baby's sake. You _have _to take care of yourself first, and your body will naturally care for the baby. What happens if I'm not here and something happens? You faint, or get too sick to call for help?" He dropped his hand and stared back out at the street for several long moments. "I think I should back out of the Sacramento assignment."

Gabriella gasped. "No, Troy, you can't! I won't let you!"

Troy whirled to face her. "You won't _let _me? I'm doing this for you!"

"I never asked you to," she argued. "Troy, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you. You _can't _give it up to stay home with me!"

"I don't _want _to give it up, but I don't feel like I have a choice," he admitted. "My first responsibility is to you, not to my job."

Gabriella thought for a minute. "Troy, if this assignment was here in San Francisco, how would you be feeling about it right now?"

He shrugged. "I'd be looking forward to it. I'd be so excited I'd be counting the days 'til training camp." His gaze swung back to her. "But as it is, I'm dreading the time when I have to _leave _you for training camp."

She gathered his big hand in both of hers. "Troy, you've been training for this assignment for almost ten years. All the years of school, the hours of studying, the exams, the residency training. I've been beside you through all of it, and I know how hard you've worked to make it to this point. I know you're good at what you do, and how much you love it. And I _know _you're going to go to Sacramento and be an _amazing _team physician, because you don't do anything halfway. You pour your heart and soul into it, and that's what makes you a great doctor." She released one hand to touch his face. "If I let you miss this opportunity, Troy, it would be the most selfish thing I've ever done, and I love you too much to do that. I'll miss you while you're gone, but I know you'll always come home to me. So you should go with a clear conscience and learn and practice medicine and become the best sports medicine physician in northern California!" She was surprised to see moisture in his eyes, and she dipped her fingers into his hair. "I'm proud of you, and I can't wait to sit in the stands at UCS and watch my handsome husband out on the field helping those athletes and _making a difference_."

He shook his head, too dumbstruck to speak, and gathered his wife in his arms, swiping at his eyes over her shoulder. "Thank you," he finally murmured into her hair. "Thank you for believing in me. I… I can't tell you how much it means to me…"

She pulled back and cupped his face with her hands. "You don't have to. I already know." She leaned forward and kissed him, and he responded fiercely, kissing her hard as he pulled her body more tightly against his. "Troy…" she sighed happily.

"I love you, baby," he whispered against her skin, breathing in her sweet scent. If she believed in him, he realized, he could do anything.

...~«ώ»~...

A few nights later, Troy woke to find that Gabriella wasn't beside him in bed. He squinted at the clock. 4:18, it read. Many early mornings lately, he'd awakened to the sound of her throwing up in the master bathroom. For more than a week, though, he hadn't heard a peep from her until he rose to get ready for work.

Troy rolled over to look for the telltale crack of light under the bathroom door, but the light was out and the door was open. Frowning, he threw the blanket to the side and sat up, trying to get his brain to focus. He pushed to his feet, opened the bedroom door, and padded out into the hallway. There he spotted the light under the _other _bathroom door, the one down the hall next to the guest room. Walking toward it, he heard broken sobs interspersed with hollow retches. His pace quickened, and when he pushed open the door, his heart clenched.

Gabriella leaned weakly on the edge of the toilet with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes were glazed and bloodshot, and at first she didn't even seem aware of his presence.

"Gabriella?" he started softly, kneeling next to her and smoothing a hand through her hair. Looking up at him, she choked on a sob and collapsed into his arms. "Shh, it's okay, sweetheart. I've got you."

"I'm s-sorry," she whispered into his chest. "I can't… It's too much. Why isn't it getting better?"

He rocked her gently in his arms. "It takes time for the medication to start working."

She nodded wearily. "I know. It's… so hard… and I just want to sleep…"

"I know, baby," her murmured. "It'll get better, I promise."

"What if it doesn't? I can't do this for seven more months."

He eased her away from his body to lift her chin and wipe the tears from her cheeks. "It _will _get better, Gabriella." She shivered so hard her teeth chattered, and he rubbed her bare arms in an attempt to warm her. "You can do it, sweetie. Remember what you told me the other day? That it'll all be worth it in the end? You have to hang onto that and just take it one day at a time."

She didn't answer, but rested her face against his chest. He rubbed her back soothingly. She was overwhelmed and exhausted, and Troy knew that if the medication didn't rein in her symptoms soon, Dr. Grant would likely hospitalize her.

Troy felt her shoulders begin to relax, and he pressed a soft kiss into her hair. "Are you ready to go back to bed?"

She nodded, and he pushed to his feet. She held up a hand for him to help her up from the floor, but instead he bent and lifted her into his arms. She sagged against him, and he turned off the bathroom light before heading down the hall toward their bedroom. There, he pulled back the blanket and laid her down, and then covered her and retrieved a basin from the bathroom. Sliding into bed beside her, he gathered her close.

"Sweetheart, why didn't you use the master bathroom just now?" he wondered.

She looked up at him through heavy eyelids. "I… um… I've been using the other bathroom to keep from waking you. I didn't want to worry you."

"For how long?"

"A couple of weeks," she admitted drowsily.

He clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "When you're feeling better, Gabriella, I'm going to have a stern talking-to with you about that. But for now, close your eyes and rest."

Gabriella didn't answer, and a quick glance down told him why—she'd already drifted off. Troy kissed her forehead tenderly. "That's my girl," he whispered. "One step at a time."

...~«ώ»~...

The following week, Troy set his tray down on a table in the hospital cafeteria and flopped wearily into the chair.

"Hey, man, how's it going?" Mark asked.

"How's Gabi?" Kelly added. "What did she find out from Dr. Grant yesterday?"

Troy sighed. "She hasn't gained any weight, but she hasn't lost any more either, so that's encouraging."

"The medicine is starting to work?" Kelly asked.

"She's not throwing up as much, but she's still nauseous, and her headaches are more frequent. She's also had trouble sleeping for the past few days. Dr. Grant said that's a common side effect."

"How's she dealing with everything?" Kelly went on. "She didn't sound like herself when I called her the other day."

"She's feeling kind of overwhelmed," Troy replied. "It's a lot for her to deal with, being so sick for weeks on end. I hate that I can't do anything to make it better for her. She's just sitting at home, miserable, and there's nothing I can do."

"Dr. Grant hasn't cleared her to work yet?" Mark questioned.

"She wants her to stay home and avoid the stress until she puts a couple of pounds back on," Troy told them. "It doesn't really matter, though. She's been too exhausted to work more than a few hours a day, and she spends that time going over case files at home. When she finishes them, I drop them off at the Legal Aid office and pick up a new batch for her." He shook his head. "I hope she'll be okay by the time school starts in a few weeks."

"How far along is she now with the pregnancy?" Kelly asked.

"Almost ten weeks," Troy answered.

"So she'll be into her second trimester when she goes back to work," Kelly pointed out. "Symptoms often improve for expectant mothers once they're through their first trimester."

"I know, but it's so frustrating," Troy replied. "With this new medication, she's basically traded one set of symptoms for another. I can't help worrying about her, and I'm supposed to leave for training camp in Sacramento in four days. The timing couldn't be worse."

"Oh yes, it could," Mark interjected. Troy frowned, and Mark explained, "What if you had to be away during the _end _of Gabi's pregnancy, or right after the baby was born? _That _would be some bad timing."

Kelly nodded her agreement. "Mark's right. In a few months you'll be finished with your rotation requirement, and you'll be back home in plenty of time to pamper and spoil Gabi before the baby's born. Imagine if you had to work full-time at the hospital _and _do your team physician rotation with a new baby at home. Thatwould be really hard for both of you."

"I guess so," Troy admitted.

"Don't worry, man, we'll keep a close eye on her while you're gone and make sure she's all right," Mark reminded him.

"Do you think she'd like some company?" Kelly wondered. "I'd be glad to sleep at your house so she doesn't have to be alone."

Troy shook his head. "You guys are newlyweds. I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking, I'm offering," Kelly insisted. "Gabi's one of my best friends, and if she needs me, I'm there. I don't mind. Really."

"Thanks, you guys," Troy finally smiled. "I'll feel better knowing that you're taking care of her. I can't wait for these two weeks of training camp to be over."

"You start your regular 4-day/3-day rotation in the middle of August, once school starts?" Kelly asked. Troy nodded his agreement. "That won't be so bad then," she continued. "You'll be able to sleep at home three or four nights a week."

"Dude, training camp is going to be brutal if this heat wave sticks around," Mark commented with a glance at his pager. "We've had a steady stream of heat exhaustion and heatstroke cases in the ER all week."

"I know," Troy agreed. "We have a meeting on Sunday evening with the coaching staff and the athletic trainers to make sure everyone's on the same page. Pete Massey asked me to put together a list of guidelines and symptoms to watch for, and hopefully Coach Sterling will cut back on practices during the hottest part of the day. Otherwise, we're going to have problems."

"Aren't you excited, though?" Mark asked. "You're going to be the team physician for one of the best football programs in the country!"

Troy smiled. "I _am _excited. It's an amazing opportunity, the culmination of my medical training. I just wish I didn't have to leave behind my pregnant wife to do it."

"How's Gabi handling the thought of you leaving soon?" Kelly asked.

"Honestly, better than I am," Troy told her, laying his fingers over his wedding ring. "She's been so understanding and supportive. I couldn't have asked for a better partner to share my life with. Getting in the car and driving away from her… I honestly don't know how I'm going to do it."

"One day at a time," Kelly said softly.

Troy chuckled. "I keep telling her that about the pregnancy. I guess I should take my own advice, huh?"

"You _guess?_" Kelly rolled her eyes. "Men."

"Dude, you're _totally _getting us free tickets for the UCS games, right?" Mark suddenly asked.

"Only if you bring Gabriella with you," Troy answered, and then checked himself. "If she wants to come, that is."

"Of _course _she'll want to come," Kelly declared. "She is _so _proud of you, Troy. She wouldn't miss the chance to see her man in action."

Mark checked his watch. "Speaking of men in action, I've got to go." He stood and then leaned over to kiss his wife. "See you later, hot stuff."

"Later, sweet cheeks," Troy teased. "But aren't you going to say goodbye to Kelly?"

Kelly laughed as Mark sent Troy a dirty look. "Honey, you'd better go before he wants a kiss too."

Troy made a face and Mark moved quickly to escape. Kelly patted Troy's arm. The separation would be hard for her friends, but she knew, without a doubt, that they would be okay.

...~«ώ»~...

On Saturday afternoon, Gabriella settled on the back steps to soak up the summer sun and watch Troy mow the yard. Their yard was small—miniscule in comparison to Troy's parents' home in Albuquerque—but Troy, in typical male fashion, took pride in keeping it well-maintained. He wore cut-off shorts, ratty canvas shoes, and sunglasses. His sweaty tank top had already been shed and flung onto the top step by the back door, and the pendant around his neck gleamed in the bright sunlight. Grass clippings clung to the sweat on his body, and when he paused to run a hand through his damp hair, he noticed that he had an audience. Killing the engine, he grinned, flexed his muscles, and strutted toward her.

"Well, hello, little lady," he flirted. "Are you enjoying the view?"

"I am," she admitted with a giggle.

"And which view do you prefer?" He struck an exaggerated body-builder's pose, first facing her, then in profile, and then he turned to give her a rear view.

"Oh my," she hedged, fanning herself as she tried to suppress her laughter. "So many choices… I may need to see them all again."

"Sorry, ma'am. The show's over." He settled on the step below where she sat, gratefully taking the drink she offered him and took a long gulp of the cold liquid.

"I finished the laundry and packed your suitcase for you," she told him.

"Thanks, sweetheart," he smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay for now," she answered as her hand dropped to stroke her belly. His eyes followed her movement, and he shifted his position to kneel in front of her.

"And how about you, Baby Bolton?" he spoke to her stomach. "Is Mommy taking good care of you?"

He stretched forward to hold his ear against her middle, listening for a reply, and then smiled up at his wife.

"Troy, what…" she started to ask, but he halted her question with a finger on his lips before turning his attention back to her stomach.

"Now, remember what we talked about," he confided. "No more making Mommy sick, okay?" He listened again, and then nodded with satisfaction.

Enchanted with his connection to their child, Gabriella shivered as he lifted her shirt to place a lingering kiss on her belly. He leaned close once more. "Good. I knew you'd understand. I'm so in love with your mother, and we both love you."

She threaded her fingers through his wet hair, pulling him up to kiss her on the lips.

He hesitated. "Sweetie, I don't smell very good right now."

Gabriella smiled innocently. "How is that different than normal?"

"Hey!" He feigned hurt, but couldn't help laughing at her jab. "Now you're going to get it, woman!"

She shrieked as he lowered himself onto her, pinning her and rubbing his sweaty hair against her chest and neck.

"Troy!" She squealed through her laughter. "Troy, you're getting me all sweaty!"

"I_ like_ getting you all sweaty," he grinned impishly, waggling his eyebrows. "Especially when you're _under_ me, all sweaty…" She shivered from the unexpected heat in his eyes as he leaned down to nuzzle her neck. Pushing himself off of her, he looked up, struggling to keep a straight face.

"Honey, I hate to tell you this, but you don't smell very good right now," he told her seriously.

"I wonder why!" She slapped at his chest good-naturedly. "Now I need to go take another shower. Thanks a lot!"

"Don't worry, I'll make it up to you," he charmed. "I'll scrub your back in the shower."

Gabriella smiled seductively. "It's not just my back, you know. I'm going to need to be scrubbed _all over_."

"Hey, that works for me!" he declared.

Without another word, she stood and climbed the stairs, deliberately swaying her hips as she glanced back over her shoulder. "Sorry, sir, but the show's _not _over," she announced, copying his words from earlier. "It's only just begun."

...~«ώ»~...

Sunday was the day Troy had been dreading, and he put off his departure as long as he could, trying to squeeze in as much quality time with his wife as possible. She was quiet, but held herself together for his sake. When he started to inventory the contents of his medical bag for the third time, Gabriella stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Troy, your medical supplies are all there. You don't need to check them again," she told him gently. "You need to get on the road so you have time to get your apartment keys from Pete and unpack before the staff meeting tonight."

He stared down at a roll of gauze in his hands, turning it over and over as he tried to swallow down his emotions. "I don't know how to say goodbye to you, Gabriella," he finally admitted quietly.

"Oh, Troy," she breathed, framing his face with her hands. "You don't have to say goodbye. You'll only be gone for a couple of weeks. When training camp is over, you'll be back, and I'll be here waiting for you. It'll be hard to be apart, but we've been through worse, and we'll be just fine."

His arms slipped around her waist, and he pulled her tight against his body. "I know, but I still hate leaving you here. I'm going to try to come home after the scrimmage on Saturday, even if it's just for a day. And I want you to call me, day or night, if anything comes up, or if you just need to talk."

She nuzzled her cheek into his chest. "I don't want to bother you while you're working."

He tipped her chin up to look into her eyes. "Gabriella, you are _never _a bother. I'm serious… You have to promise me that you'll call me if you need _anything_."

"I will," she smiled, savoring the warmth of his embrace for a few moments before resolutely stepping away. "Now come on, you need to get going."

"Okay," he sighed, closing his medical bag as Gabriella slipped into the kitchen and returned with a paper bag. "What's that?" he asked, eyeing it suspiciously.

She grinned. "I made some brownies for you to take with you."

His eyes lit up. "Your mom's recipe?"

"Of course," she giggled. He reached for them, but she held them out of his grasp. "Uh uh, Dr. Bolton, no snacking until _after_ you kiss me. The cocoa doesn't agree with my stomach at the moment."

That caused his worried face to drop back into place, but she stood on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Stop worrying. I'll be fine." She took his hand and led him toward the front door.

"I can't not worry about you," Troy admitted, grabbing his medical bag off the table. "I've been doing it way too long to stop now." He glanced around the living room. "Make sure you lock the doors when you're home, especially at night. Don't drive if you feel dizzy. If you start feeling sick, I mean worse than you have been, or if something feels 'off,' call Dr. Grant. Don't go out during the hottest part of the day, at least not until this heat wave breaks."

They stepped out the front door into the very heat he'd been talking about. "Meanwhile, you're going to be out in the sun all day," she pointed out.

"Hopefully not," Troy told her. "Hopefully the coach will cut back on afternoon practice time. I'm sure we'll discuss that at the meeting tonight."

"The meeting that you still haven't left for," she reminded him. They walked together down the porch steps and around to the driver's side of Troy's car. He opened the door and dropped his medical bag and the brownies in the back seat, and then straightened and pulled her into his arms. She molded her body into his, and he automatically dipped his nose into her hair, trying to memorize her scent.

"Take good care of yourself, okay?" he murmured.

"I will, I promise," she answered, tipping her head to look up at him. "And you take care of _yourself,_ too. I'm so proud of you." Her hand dipped under the collar of his shirt, and she pulled out the pendant she'd given him in Hawaii. She ran her thumb over the inscription. "You're the 'strong one,' Troy, remember? You can do anything you set your mind to. I truly believe that." She kissed the charm, tucked it back into his shirt, and touched it through the fabric.

Troy covered her hand with his before his lips descended onto hers. He kissed her fiercely, possessively. When he pulled away, he looked down into the eyes of the woman he loved. "I love you so much, Gabriella. I'll come home as soon as I can."

"I know you will," she murmured. "I love you too."

He kissed her once more before reluctantly releasing her. "Are you okay?" he asked, searching her eyes.

"Yeah," she answered. "Now go on."

"I love you," he told her again.

"I love you too."

She stood in the driveway and waved while he backed out onto the street. Her vision blurred with moisture, so she didn't see the tears on his cheeks as he drove away. It would be a long and lonely couple of weeks, but they'd get through it, one step at a time.


	31. Taking Heat

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

_A/N: Happy New Year! Today marks the one-year anniversary of the start of this story. Thanks to my faithful readers, and as always, to Robin for her help and friendship._

**Chapter 31—Taking Heat**

Early Monday morning, Troy stood in front of the steamy mirror in the bathroom, carefully shaving along his jaw. The university had provided him with a small furnished apartment in which to stay during his time in Sacramento. It was nothing fancy, but Troy didn't care. Even if it had been the Taj Mahal, it wouldn't have felt like "home" without Gabriella. He'd left his heart in San Francisco for sure, just like the classic pop tune lamented. He glanced at his watch, wondering if it was too early to call her. Still thinking, he grabbed a hand towel from the vanity and wiped the excess shaving cream from his face. There was no need to use after-shave, he realized, since she wouldn't be there to smell it on him.

With a sigh, Troy swiped a comb through his hair before padding out of the bathroom and grabbing one of the new red UCS polo shirts that hung in his closet. He wished the staff didn't have to wear polo shirts with the temperature forecast near 100˚F by afternoon, but he guessed that was better than all the gear the football players would don. Quickly he pulled the shirt over his head and then sat on the bed to put on his sneakers. Something sharp poked his leg through the pocket lining of his khaki shorts, and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small folded piece of paper. His heart sped up as he unfolded it and saw Gabriella's neat, familiar cursive.

_Dr. Bolton, _she'd written. _Just a note to tell you how proud I am of you and all the great work you're going to do at training camp this week. Have a wonderful first day on the job! I can't wait to hear about it when we talk tonight. Take care of yourself and those lunkhead football players. I miss you, and I love you so, so much. ~Love, G._

Troy read the words over and over, committing them to memory before tucking the note carefully back into his pocket. Then he picked up his phone and called the woman he loved.

"Hello?" she answered, her voice soft and gravelly.

"Good morning, beautiful," he replied. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

Gabriella laughed softly. "No, the baby took care of that a few hours ago."

Troy's face immediately tightened. "Are you okay? You haven't been throwing up all morning, have you?"

"Troy, it's just like every other morning since we found out I'm pregnant," she told him. Her voice dropped. "Except that you're not here."

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry," he lamented. "I wish I could be there with you, you know that."

"It's okay, I understand," she assured him. "How did the staff meeting go last night?"

"It was all right, but it went pretty late," he told her. "I didn't call you afterwards because I figured you'd already gone to bed. But I missed talking to you last night. I missed having you next to me in bed."

"I know, Troy, I missed you too," she responded. Sensing the need to lift his mood, she repeated her query. "Tell me more about the staff meeting. If you have time, that is."

"I _always _have time for you, sweetheart," he answered. "Pete was there, and he introduced me to the coaching staff and the athletic trainers. It's amazing how many people it takes to run a nationally-ranked football team."

"I can't imagine," she interjected. "What did you think of the mighty Coach Sterling?"

Troy hesitated, wondering at the hint of sarcasm in her voice. "He's got a strong personality, that's for sure. He doesn't pull any punches, and he runs a pretty tight ship. But by all accounts, he's very good at what he does." Troy chose not to mention the coach's barely-concealed disdain towards the new team physician. Given the coach's long friendship with the previous doctor, and the circumstances surrounding the other man's departure, Troy didn't take the coach's gruffness personally. Still, Gabriella didn't need to know about any tension that might surface on the football field.

"What do you have on your agenda for today?" he asked, steering the conversation onto more neutral ground.

"I have some case files to finish up, and after work, Kelly's going to come over so we can go for a walk in the park," Gabriella told him.

Troy's protectiveness surged. "Make sure you go after 6:00, when it's not so hot. But don't stay out after dark, either. Drink plenty of water, and don't push yourself too hard, okay?"

He thought he heard a giggle on the other end of the phone. "Yes, Dr. Bolton," she answered dutifully.

"Oh, that reminds me," he exclaimed. "Thank you for the nice note I found in my pocket this morning. That was really thoughtful of you, sweetie, and it was just what I needed to start my day."

"Good," she beamed, and he could tell she was smiling. "That's what I was hoping for."

Troy glanced regretfully at the wall clock. "Honey, I'm sorry, but I have to get over to the stadium. I'll call and check on you at lunchtime, okay? Take care of yourself. I love you, Gabriella."

"I love you too, Troy," she replied softly. "Have a great day, and _you _drink plenty of water and don't push yourself too hard, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm the 'strong one,' remember? Today will be fine, and at the end of it, I'll be one day closer to seeing you. I'll take to you later, sweetheart. Bye."

Not wanting to be late on his first day, Troy grabbed his medical bag, wallet, and keys, and headed out the door.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy adapted quickly to the frenetic pace of training camp, supervising the athletic trainers as they stretched and wrapped the players, making sure there was always a ready supply of water and ice, and carefully checking sprains, pulled muscles, and turf burns. Coach Sterling barely acknowledged Troy's presence, largely because of Pete Massey's near-constant presence on the field and in the training room. The assistant coaches were nice enough, though, and Troy got along well with the athletic trainers, Matt and Jamie. Matt was Troy's age, a native Californian who reminded Troy of Mark. They had an easy rapport and worked well together. Jamie was a few years younger, but smart and efficient. Her petite figure, pretty face and wavy blonde hair surely made it more difficult for her to be taken seriously by the athletes she worked with, but Troy admired her tenacity for holding her own in a profession that was so largely dominated by men.

The heat wave still hadn't let up, and Troy was pleased that the coach had taken his suggestion to move practice indoors during the afternoon heat. The players ran drills in the gym, lifted weights in the weight room, and worked on plays and formations in the fieldhouse. As a result, they'd had no serious heat-related illnesses. Troy knew from the news reports and conversations with Mark that many schools' athletes were not faring so well.

On Wednesday morning, Troy and the trainers stood on the sidelines, watching the team practice. Glancing at his watch, he made a mental note that the players were due for a water break in ten minutes. Coach Sterling seemed to be in an especially foul mood that morning, and the players were taking the brunt of it. He'd forced them through a staggering number of drills, and now they were running plays on the field. Even at nearly 10:00 in the morning, the temperature had already passed 90˚, and several players had gotten sick and had to sit out until they cooled down. Following protocol, Troy had reported each of these incidents to Pete Massey, so he was not too surprised to look up and see the athletic director walking toward them.

"Dr. Bolton," Pete called as he approached, offering his hand for a friendly shake. "How's it going out here?"

"He's working them hard today," Troy reported. "Fortunately, the players I told you about have had no lingering effects, and they're back out there with the team."

Taking a quick look back at the trainers, Pete gestured for Troy to follow him a few steps away from them. "Coach Sterling and I had a meeting this morning before practice. He's upset that he's losing all the afternoon hours on the field."

Troy tensed. "Sir, you asked me to advise him of the best ways to keep the team healthy. The heat index forecast for this afternoon is 110˚. It's not safe for the players to be out here, especially considering how hard he's pushing them."

"And I agree with you," Pete nodded. "It's your responsibility to keep these players safe, and if Coach Sterling doesn't like that, that's his problem. You know that he and the previous doctor were buddies. Well, Jim's just not used to not getting his way." Pete patted Troy's shoulder. "Stand your ground, Troy. As long as you're protecting our student athletes, I'll back you up 100%."

"Thank you," Troy answered, shaking Pete's hand once more before the older man turned back towards the athletic offices. Troy watched him disappear into the air-conditioned building, and then returned his attention to the team practice.

On the field, one of the receivers caught a short pass and started to run with it, only to be hit by four defensive players. The coach yelled angrily, disgusted by the receiver's lack of yardage, and pulled players off the pile to get to the young man underneath. When the burly tackles stood, the receiver remained on the ground. Troy jogged toward him with Matt and Jamie right behind.

"Get up! You deserved to get tackled after that play," the coach barked at him. "Running right into the defense? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Troy knelt at the player's side, quickly assessing the situation. He glanced at the name on the player's helmet.

"Patterson, talk to me," Troy urged. "Tell me where it hurts."

The young man clutched his side as he struggled to pull in a breath. Troy quickly checked him over and then pulled off his helmet. Patterson squinted against the blinding sun, and Jamie laid a wet towel over his eyes to cool and shade him.

"He's fine," Coach Sterling snarled. "Just knocked the wind out of him. Don't baby him, or he'll never learn."

Troy glanced up at the coach, and then back down to the player. His hands palpated around the area that Patterson had indicated, and when he reached a particular spot, the boy cried out in pain.

"I'm going to x-ray his ribs," Troy decided, addressing the coach. "Maybe you're right, maybe he just got the wind knocked out of him, but we're not going to take a chance." He looked down at the player again. "Patterson, can you walk to the training room, or do we need to get a stretcher?"

Patterson determinedly sat up, even as his face twisted in pain. Troy knew that athletes had too much pride to allow themselves to be carried off the field unless they were very seriously injured. He'd never been carried off the basketball court, even when he'd torn his ACL in college, but he well remembered those excruciating steps as he hobbled to the locker room, supported by his trainers.

Matt hooked his arms under the injured player's and helped lift him off the ground. A small smattering of applause sounded among the other players who were watching, and then Coach Sterling barked more orders, and the practice resumed. Troy instructed Jamie to stay on the field for the upcoming water break while he and Matt took Patterson into the training room.

...~«ώ»~...

Twenty minutes later, Troy was studying the x-ray films, searching for hairline fractures, when Pete Massey burst into the room, white-faced.

"Pete, what's wrong?" Troy asked worriedly.

The normally unflappable older man looked to be near tears. "My… my son was in an… an accident down in Fresno… they don't know if…" He trailed off, unable to finish the sentence as he fought for control.

Troy placed a hand on the athletic director's shoulder. "So you and your wife are driving down? _Can _you drive right now?"

"My brother's driving us," Pete answered. "They're on the way over now. Troy, I'm sorry to leave you like this on your first week…"

"It's fine," Troy assured him. "You need to be with your family right now. That's more important. We'll be fine."

Pete nodded, glancing over at Matt and Patterson across the room. "Thanks. Keep me informed if anything comes up, especially with Coach Sterling."

"Will do," Troy agreed. "Now go, and let us know as soon as you find out anything about your son."

With a quick nod, Pete ducked out of the room and back toward his office. Sighing, Troy returned his attention to the x-ray film. Finally satisfied that there was no serious injury, he waved Matt over.

"What's the word?" Matt asked as soon as he reached Troy's side.

"No break," Troy told him, looking up at the large clock above the door. "There's only about 90 minutes until lunchtime. Ice him for fifteen minutes and then send him back out. I'm going to go help Jamie get ready for the next water break."

Matt nodded and returned to the player, and Troy walked down the hallway leading to the football field. The muggy heat slammed him as soon as he stepped outside, and he frowned when he saw Jamie pacing agitatedly on the sideline. As he approached, he saw that her face was red, either from heat or anger.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked.

"Coach won't let them take a water break," she grumbled. "They're half an hour overdue, but he said they don't deserve a break. They're sweating bullets out there, Troy."

Troy's fists clenched, and he stalked out onto the field. "Coach Sterling, I need a word with you."

The coach brushed him aside. "Not now, Bolton. I'm trying to coach a team here."

"Your team's overdue for a water break," Troy retorted. "The heat index is already over 100˚."

"They're fine," Coach Sterling barked. "Get off the field."

Troy stepped directly in front of the coach, blocking his path. "Not until you water your team. Have you been watching the news, Coach? A high school football player from Los Angeles died practicing in this heat yesterday. That's not going to happen here. Not on my watch."

Coach Sterling stood there, nose to nose with Troy, anger etched in every line of his face. Finally, he took a step back and blew his whistle.

"Five minute break," he shouted. "Get in the shade and get some water. Now!"

The players didn't have to be told twice. They bolted for the sideline and surrounded Jamie's water station. Troy started towards them, but the coach grabbed his arm, jerking him around to face the older man.

"Bolton, don't you _ever_ challenge me in front of my team again, or I'll kick your ass all the way back to San Francisco," the coach snarled.

"Do the right thing, and I won't have to," Troy shot back, yanking his arm free. Seething, he stomped back to the sideline to check on the weary players.

"This is not over, Bolton," Coach Sterling muttered to Troy's retreating figure. "Not by a long shot."

...~«ώ»~...

When Coach Sterling blew his whistle to end the morning practice, the football players circled him and knelt on the turf, awaiting final instructions. The coach paced silently for a few moments, waiting until there was absolute silence.

"I want to thank you all for saving me from wasting my time," the coach began, his polite words a stark contrast to the tight lines on his face. "See, most every year of my coaching career, I've spent New Year's prepping my team for a bowl game. This year, though, I can stay home and relax on New Year's, maybe drink some beer and watch the Rose Parade. Yeah, that sounds good. Because I know, after the train wreck I saw out here this morning, that there's no chance in _hell _that you'll make it to a bowl game this year. Is that what you want?" He threw down his clipboard angrily. "Answer me!"

"No, sir," the players muttered. He continued to goad them until their response was a loud and unified shout. "NO, SIR!"

"Are you willing to work hard and sacrifice to be a winning team this year?"

"YES, SIR!"

"Do you want it enough to sweat for it?"

"YES, SIR!"

Coach Sterling nodded with satisfaction. "Now's the time to prove it. If you're ready to win, I want you back on this field at 1:00 in full pads. If you want to be a loser, then you just stay inside where it's cool. The choice is yours. Go!"

The players scurried to the feet and ran for the locker room, and Troy made a beeline for the coach.

"Coach Sterling," he said loudly, interrupting his conversation with the assistant coaches. "These kids are _not _practicing outside this afternoon. We've already discussed the danger, and I have the authority to pull the plug if you're forcing them into a dangerous situation."

Coach Sterling scoffed, shoving his finger into Troy's chest. "Who gave you the authority? Pete? Well, Pete's not here right now, is he? Bolton, I've been coaching more years than you've been alive, and I'm not going to let some young know-it-all screw up everything I've worked to build. Besides, I'm not _forcing _my team to practice—you heard me give them a choice. I am not violating any rules of the California athletic board, so unless you can find some law that trumps their authority, we've got nothing else to say to each other."

Troy stood still while the coach stomped off the field, and then pulled his phone out of its holster and dialed a very familiar number. When the voice at the other end answered, he instantly smiled.

"Sweetie, it's me," he began. "I really need your help."

...~«ώ»~...

Forty-five minutes later, Troy reread Gabriella's texts once more before knocking on the door of Coach Sterling's office. When the coach called to him that it was open, Troy entered, nodding to the assistant coaches who lounged on the furniture circling the room.

"Coach Sterling, I need to have a word with you," Troy started.

The coach waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of my staff."

Troy shrugged. "As you wish." He drew a deep breath, and pinned the coach with a hard stare. "When you challenged me to find a law about player safety, I remembered a few statutes that I learned about back in med school. But I couldn't remember the specifics." His gaze swept the room. "Fortunately, my wife is a lawyer, a very _smart _lawyer. I called her, and she found the information I needed." He thumbed the screen on his phone, pulling up the texts he'd received. "California Education Code, Section 33353, says that the California athletic board falls under the governance of the State Legislature with regard to, among other things, the health and safety of student athletes. Section 33354 dictates that the State Department of Education holds authority over interscholastic athletics. It goes on to say that any school or organization that does not comply with state or federal laws in matters relating to interscholastic activities will be subject to legal action and loss of athletic board membership."

Troy re-holstered his phone and stared at the red-faced coach. "Coach Sterling, I would prefer not to make a scene in front of your players, but rest assured that I will _not_ allow them to practice outside this afternoon. The choice is yours."

The coach stared at him for a few moments, and then growled, "Fine. Get the hell out of my office."

As Troy turned for the door, he quickly scanned the faces of the assistant coaches. Some looked as angry as their boss; others' faces showed relief, and perhaps even a bit of admiration. Ultimately, Troy didn't care what they thought of him. He didn't like confronting the coach, but his first priority was to ensure the health and safety of the players. As long as he remembered that, he'd be just fine.

...~«ώ»~...

During the afternoon practice, Troy and the trainers kept busy rotating between indoor practice locations. When the dinner break came, Troy grabbed some food and headed for his office, pulling the door shut behind him. He opened his drink and took a long swallow before lifting the desk phone from its cradle and dialing his wife's number. When she answered, he launched into an animated account of how he'd stood up to the coach using the information she'd provided for him.

"I can't thank you enough, honey," he concluded. "I'm so impressed that you found those statutes so quickly."

"I wouldn't have been able to if you hadn't told me what to look for," she countered, deflecting his praise. "I'm glad it worked."

Troy frowned into the phone. "Gabriella, are you okay? You sound unhappy."

She drew a shaky breath that reinforced his suspicion. "I'm all right, Troy. You still have one more practice tonight, right? We can talk when you're done with that. I don't want to keep you from your dinner."

"Sweetheart, I have plenty of time to talk now," he cajoled. "Come on, if something's bothering you, I want to hear about it. Tell me what's going on."

"My mom called," she said quietly.

"And?" Troy ticked through a number of scenarios in his mind, trying to determine which direction this conversation would go.

"She wants to come for a visit this weekend," Gabriella sighed.

"What?" Troy replied a little too loudly. He took a moment to reel in his tension, and then spoke calmly. "That came out of nowhere."

"I know," she answered softly. "I told her it's not a good time, with you being away. I wanted to come see the scrimmage this Saturday, and spend some time with you… I miss you, Troy."

His heart seized at the vulnerability in her voice. "I miss you too, and I would _love _for you to come, but Gabriella, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be out in this heat in your condition. Don't worry, we'll figure out a way to make this work. I still don't know if we have another staff meeting on Sunday night, and the way the coach feels about me right now, I don't think it's a good time to ask." He paused, trying to refocus his thoughts back on the problem at hand. "Why is your mom suddenly so interested in visiting when she hasn't seen you in almost three months?"

"She's going back to work in a couple of weeks, so then she won't have time to visit," Gabriella sighed. "I just don't know if I'm up to dealing with her by myself. We haven't spoken much since we—I—found out about her cancer. She's done with her treatments now, but I couldn't very well ask her about her radiation levels without mentioning the baby."

"Maybe it's a good opportunity for you to_ tell_ her about the baby," Troy pointed out.

"That's something we should do together, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I do," he answered. "I want to share that experience with you, like when we told my parents. But sweetheart, I don't want you getting stressed or upset, so if that means you have to tell her without me, then I'm okay with that."

"I guess I could go see her in New York next week, since you'll still be at training camp," she mumbled.

"Absolutely not," Troy declared. "You've been so sick with this pregnancy, flying across the country is the _last _thing you should be doing." He ran a hand through his hair. "Look, just tell her that this weekend is not a good time for us."

"I already did," Gabriella answered. "I just feel… a little guilty."

"Don't," he instructed. "Baby, I miss you like crazy, and I don't even want to _think _about going another week without seeing you. Your mom may not like it, but she'll understand."

"I hope so," she replied. "She wasn't happy about it, but she said that she'd be back in touch to figure out some alternative dates." Troy heard shuffling in the background, and then a female voice. "Kelly's here for our walk, so I should go."

"Okay, I'll call you tonight when I get back to the apartment," he told her. "I love you, sweetheart. Bye."

...~«ώ»~...

On Saturday morning, Gabriella made it through her usual bout of morning sickness, called Troy to wish him luck for the scrimmage, and then pulled a travel bag out of the closet. Troy wouldn't know until after the game whether he had to be back on campus on Sunday evening for a staff meeting, so Gabriella was taking matters into her own hands. She'd decided to surprise him by going to watch the scrimmage and then spending the weekend with him in Sacramento. He had so little free time before the second week of training camp that she wanted to maximize their time together. Her heart fluttered with excitement at the thought of wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek against his firm chest. She walked into the bathroom to get her toothbrush and smiled at the note Troy had left on the mirror, quoting lyrics from an old song:

_You're having my baby. You're the woman I love and I love what it's doing to you. You're having my baby. You're a woman in love and I love what's going through you. I can see it, face is glowin', I can see in your eyes, I'm happy that you know it. That you're having my baby._

Every day, battling morning sickness, she read that note and felt better knowing how much Troy loved her and wanted their baby. Gabriella was pulled from her reverie by the doorbell, and she glanced at the clock nervously. Just after 10:00. She needed to be on the road by 10:30 to get to Sacramento in time for the 1:00 scrimmage. Gabriella frowned as she walked toward the front door. Kelly hadn't planned on visiting today, and she knew Mark was at work. Probably just one of the neighbors… She pulled open the front door and nearly fainted at the sight in front of her.

"Mom?" she gasped.

"Surprise!" Maria Montez greeted happily, stepping forward to pull her stunned daughter into a hug.

Gabriella's mind churned as she breathed in her mother's perfume. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit you, silly," Maria told her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Mom, I… I thought we agreed that this wasn't a good weekend for a visit," Gabriella stammered.

"I know, but I went to see my endrocrinologist yesterday, and I just _had _to share my news with you in person," Maria insisted. She paused for dramatic effect, and then grinned widely. "It looks like my treatments worked. So far there's no sign of my tumor growing back. Isn't that wonderful?"

"That's great, Mom," Gabriella said sincerely.

"I'll have to go back every three months for rechecks, but he's optimistic that I won't need any further treatment," Maria rambled on. "I decided to come and surprise you with the good news. I flew out of New York at 6:00 this morning, just so we'd have more time together!" She didn't seem to notice her daughter's shock. "What did you have planned for today?"

"I was just packing to leave for Sacramento to see Troy," Gabriella told her.

"That's okay, m'ija, I'll go with you!"

Maria released her daughter, and Gabriella nearly fell backward into the house. "I… you'll…" Gabriella forced herself to breathe calmly. "Mom, I was planning to _stay _with Troy for the weekend. He has a one-bedroom apartment… and I haven't seen him all week…"

"Troy's living in an _apartment _in Sacramento?" Maria asked incredulously. "I thought this was a _temporary_ assignment. Gabi, did something happen between you two? He hasn't left you, has he?"

Gabriella's shock gave way to anger. "No, he hasn't _left _me, Mom! Everything's fine between us. The university provides the apartment for Troy as part of the agreement. I've already explained the arrangement to you. Please don't try to create friction where there isn't any."

Maria's eyes narrowed. "Well, excuse me for worrying about my only daughter. When I saw you two in May, there was definitely some… tension. And I think you've lost _more _weight since then."

Gabriella fought back her angry retort about _Maria _being the cause of the tension, and in that moment, she realized that her mother was standing on the threshold of a home that threatened to reveal her secret. She thought frantically about the pregnancy books on the coffee table, the prenatal vitamins on the kitchen counter, the basin next to the bed.

"Mom, I… um… I obviously wasn't expecting you… the house isn't ready for company…"

"Nonsense," Maria interrupted, peering over her daughter's shoulder into the house. "I'm your mother. I don't care if your house is a bit messy. I'm here to see _you._"

Gabriella's head spun, and for a moment she was afraid she'd faint. "Please, Mom, just… wait out here for a minute… let me pick up a bit…"

Maria tipped her head suspiciously. "You're acting strange, Gabi. What's going on?"

"Nothing, Mom, just… please…"

"Don't be ridiculous, Gabriella. It's hot out here, and I need to use the bathroom. Let's go." Maria turned her daughter back toward the house, nudged her forward, and followed her in. Dropping her bag in the entryway, Maria headed straight for the guest bathroom. As soon as the door closed, Gabriella dashed around in a panic, sweeping through each room, trying to remember everything pregnancy-related that needed to be hidden. After one more glance around the spare bedroom, Gabriella returned to the living room and flopped on the couch, where she sighed and swallowed down her disappointment. Although she was glad to see her mother, thoughts of Troy threatened to overwhelm her, and she realized sadly that there would be no trip to Sacramento that day.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy jogged off the field behind the football players, taking a deep breath as soon as he reached the air-conditioned hallway. Because of the intense heat, the coaches had agreed to play shortened halves with an extended halftime in between. It wasn't an official game anyway, just a chance for both teams to practice against an opponent, so players could rotate in and out if the heat started to get to them. Troy and the trainers had dealt with several heat cases and a few bumps and bruises, but overall, the scrimmage had gone off without a hitch.

What most excited Troy, though, was that he'd talked to Pete before the game and found out that there was no staff meeting the next day. That meant Troy was off duty until Monday morning, and he intended to spend every available moment between now and then with his wife in his arms. Had it really only been a week since he'd seen her? It felt like an eternity. Troy peeked into the training room, where Matt and Jamie were already busy pulling tape off of players' feet. A few of the players would need to be iced, but that wouldn't take too long. Matt and Jamie had worked together long enough to establish a rhythm, and in his first week, Troy had learned not to slow them down by getting in the way. He knew they would let him know if a player needed to be checked out.

Seeing that everything was under control, Troy continued on to his office, where he picked up his gym bag and scanned the desk to see if there was anything else he needed to take with him. Pete Massey poked his head in the door to give Troy a thumbs-up before continuing down the hall to his office, whistling happily. The athletic director had been floating on air since he'd returned the night before with news that his son had miraculously escaped serious injury in the accident. Circling his desk, Troy noticed that the message light on his office phone was blinking. He picked up the receiver and punched in his code, and Gabriella's voice washed over him.

"Troy, hi, um… I didn't want to call your cell phone because I know you're out on the field… I hope the scrimmage went well, and um… Nothing's wrong, but I need you to call me when you get this message. I love you. Bye."

He'd hoped to avoid her calls while he drove home to San Francisco and surprise her, but something in her tone told him that he needed to call _now. _He quickly dialed her number and rounded the desk to recline in his leather chair. When she answered the call, her voice still held the tense, nervous quality that it had on the message.

Troy launched in without preamble. "Gabriella, sweetheart, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"How was the scrimmage?" she asked, and he immediately noticed the fake cheerfulness in her voice.

"It was fine. Gabriella, is something wrong? Your message kind of worried me."

Troy heard his wife cover the mouthpiece and say something, and then some shuffling and the sound of a door closing. When Gabriella spoke again, her voice was hushed.

"Troy, can you hear me?" she asked.

"Yes. Where are you? What's going on?"

"I came in here—in our bedroom—so she couldn't hear me," Gabriella whispered.

"So _who_ can't hear you?" Troy demanded, getting more and more agitated by the second.

"Mom is here, Troy," Gabriella finally confessed. "She showed up this morning… I was going to come surprise you at the scrimmage, but… she wanted to come with me, and…" Her voice cracked. "I had no idea she was coming to San Francisco, Troy, I swear. Please don't be mad…"

"Shh, sweetheart, it's not your fault," he soothed. "Are you okay? Have you told her about the baby yet?"

"No, I can't," she replied. "She's dragged me all over town today, trying to 'keep me busy.' She's on a mission, but I can't figure out what it is. I don't know what to do with her."

"Okay, honey, listen to me," Troy told her. "I found out that I don't have a meeting tomorrow night, so I'm coming home. We'll tell her about the baby together."

She gasped. "You're… you're coming home? Really? When?"

"Tonight. Right now. I just need to grab a shower, and then I'll be on the road."

"Oh, Troy," she sniffed. "I can't wait. The only thing is..."

Her soft voice trailed off, and Troy frowned. "What, sweetie? What is it?"

"Now we can't even be alone… And I miss you so much… I… just wanted…"

"I know, baby, I miss you too. I can't wait to see you." He paused to clear the lump in his throat. "Can you handle your mom alone for a couple more hours, or should I call in reinforcements?"

"No, no reinforcements. Just you. All I need is you." The tears in her voice were unmistakable now.

"You have me, Gabriella. Forever. Now, just sit tight, and I'll be there before you know it, okay? I love you, sweetheart, and I'll see you soon."

"I love you too," she whispered. "Drive safely."

Troy hung up the phone, picked up his bag, and left his office. His anger grew as he walked back toward the training room, and at that moment, he wasn't sure which he wanted to do first—kiss his wife or put his mother-in-law on the first plane back to New York. What he _did _know was that he wouldn't be happy until both of those goals had been accomplished, the sooner, the better.


	32. Drawing Battle Lines

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS**

**Chapter 32—Drawing Battle Lines**

Gabriella sat on the porch swing, trying to untangle the jumble of thoughts in her head. After running her ragged all afternoon, Maria had insisted on cooking Gabriella's favorite Mexican dishes for dinner. The smell of tamales, refried beans, and fresh chilies wafting from the kitchen would normally make Gabriella's mouth water, but this time it made her nauseous. She'd made an excuse about needing fresh air in order to escape the aromas, but she had no idea how she would eat the food her mother was preparing. On top of that, Maria had spent the afternoon peppering her daughter with questions about Troy's assignment in Sacramento, and it was clear that she didn't approve of his decision to leave Gabriella alone in San Francisco. Maria seemed to suspect that Troy was using his time away from home to "sow his wild oats," despite Gabriella's numerous assurances that that was not the case. She trusted Troy and knew that he hated the separation as much as she did. She just had to find a way to make her mother believe that.

She had no idea what time it was or how long she'd been sitting there, but her attention was suddenly drawn to a car approaching. _Troy._ Sure enough, the car turned into the driveway, and unexpected tears clouded Gabriella's vision. She pushed to her feet and staggered down the porch steps, afraid that she was dreaming. He stood from the car, looking tanned and handsome, and rushed around to meet her, enveloping her in the comfort of his arms.

"Gabriella," he whispered into her hair. "Oh, baby, I missed you so much."

His embrace felt like heaven, until he pulled away just enough to cover her mouth with his. He kissed her deeply, his lips caressing hers. _This _was heaven, she mentally amended. When he finally pulled back, he cupped her face in his hands and looked down at her. His thumbs swept away her tears before he pulled her into another warm embrace.

"Don't cry, sweetheart," he murmured. "I'm here now. It's okay."

"I'm so glad you're home," she whispered.

"I'm glad to _be _home," he answered, tipping her chin up and frowning at the obvious fatigue in her features. "Are you feeling all right? You look exhausted."

She attempted a small smile. "Mom hit the ground running and hasn't slowed down all day. We drove down to Stanford because she wanted to see our old house and the campus. Then we came back and spent the afternoon shopping at Union Square. Now she's in there cooking a big Mexican feast, and I can't stand the smell of it."

"That's why you were sitting outside," Troy realized. She nodded. Keeping one arm around her, he guided her back up onto the porch swing, sat with her, and pulled her into his side. "Tell me more about your day. Did you two have a good talk while you were out?"

Gabriella shrugged. "Mostly Mom talked about her health—the endocrinologist said there's no sign so far of the cancer returning—and her life in New York." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "And she asked a lot of questions about you."

"Me?" he asked. "Why?"

"She wanted to know about your assignment in Sacramento—the people you're working with, how long you'll be there, where you're living, things like that." She looked down at her hands. "And she wanted to know why I didn't go with you. I think she thinks our marriage is in trouble."

Troy sighed. "Maybe you should've told her about the baby. That would've explained a few things." He took her hand in his and squeezed. "Sweetheart, this separation is not ideal, but it's only temporary. It wasn't a decision we made lightly, and I'm sorry that it's causing your mom to question our commitment to one another."

"I don't understand how she could think that," she answered. "We weren't having problems the last time we saw her."

"Well, when we went back to Albuquerque for the reunion, she did say something about us being unhappy," Troy pointed out.

Gabriella shook her head. "She's changed so much since she moved to New York. Keeping her cancer a secret, showing up for surprise visits… What's gotten into her?" She bit her bottom lip. "When she showed up at the front door this morning, I was so afraid that she would see something in the house and figure out about the baby. Fortunately, I got most of the evidence hidden."

"Most of it?"

"She saw the appointment card from Dr. Grant's office on the refrigerator," she told him. "I just told her that it was a routine follow-up, but the sooner we tell her, the better."

"I agree. How about if we…"

Troy's suggestion was cut off when the front door opened and Maria Montez stepped out onto the porch. She glared at her son-in-law for a few awkward moments before he stood and offered her a brief hug.

"Good to see you again, Maria," he told her. "Gabriella said you got some exciting news from your endocrinologist. I'm glad to hear it."

She seemed to snap out of her mood and nodded briskly. "It is. I hope Gabi gets equally good news from _her _doctor." She looked suspiciously at her daughter, and then turned back into the house. "Dinner's ready."

Gabriella stood and took Troy's hand, fortifying herself for the assault of odors that awaited her. Sensing her hesitation, Troy gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Brace yourself, baby. It's show time."

...~«ώ»~...

The dining room table was covered with steaming dishes and, Gabriella noted with alarm, wine. Troy pulled out her chair and waited until she sat, and then squeezed her shoulder as he strode to the kitchen. When he returned, he had three glasses of water, and she watched him gratefully while he set one in front of each of their plates. Maria watched him too, but said nothing. She sat across the table from her daughter, and Troy took his place by his wife's side, patting her thigh reassuringly before reaching for the serving dish that Maria passed across the table.

Once their plates were filled, Maria shot another look at her son-in-law. "Troy, why don't you tell us about your first week in Sacramento."

"Well, it was miserably hot, but we managed to avoid any serious heat-related illnesses," Troy began, and then paused to eat a forkful of Spanish rice. "The head coach is a piece of work, that's for sure. But Pete, the athletic director, and the trainers, Matt and Jamie, are great to work with."

"What do trainers do?" Maria asked.

"They provide preventative care, such as wrapping and stretching athletes, treat injuries, and manage the players' follow-up treatment and rehabilitation," Troy explained.

"Oh, I thought that was _your _job," Maria returned as she buttered a thick slice of cornbread.

"My job is to coordinate and supervise the players' medical care, develop treatment and rehabilitation plans, and keep medical records up to date," Troy answered. "Ultimately, it's my responsibility to make medical decisions that affect the athletes' safe participation in the sport."

"Gabi said that this is an unusual assignment," she went on. "Most residents work with high school athletic programs during their team physician assignment, right?"

Troy nodded and swallowed the bite he'd just taken. "I'm very grateful for the opportunity to work with a nationally-ranked team, and flattered that Dr. Overman chose me for the assignment."

Maria shifted her focus from Troy to Gabriella. "M'ija, no wonder you're so thin. You're just pushing the food around on your plate instead of eating it. You were never this picky as a child."

Troy's arm slid around his wife's shoulders. "Actually, Maria, there's a very good explanation…"

Gabriella suddenly covered her mouth and dashed towards the bathroom. Troy stood to follow, but his mother-in-law's icy voice stopped him.

"Troy, wait," she ordered. "My daughter's been lying to me all day. Maybe now I can get a straight answer from you."

"What are you talking about?" he challenged warily. "Gabriella has no reason to lie to you."

"Troy, there is _obviously _something wrong with Gabi! You're a _doctor_, for heaven's sake!" Maria glared at him as she rose. "Maybe if you were around more, you'd be more concerned!"

"I'm _very _concerned about my wife's health and well-being." Troy's teeth clenched as he struggled to control his rising anger. "You, of all people, have no room to talk about how often I'm around!"

"You're her _husband,_" she insisted. "You're supposed to be here to take care of her instead of running off to Sacramento to relive the 'glory days' of your youth. _Especially _now!"

He frowned. "What do you mean, 'especially now'?"

Maria slid her hand into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a sticky note. Troy's stomach sank, but he kept his expression deliberately neutral.

"Perhaps," she said icily, "you could explain _this_." She tossed it toward him, but he didn't need to read the words he'd written.

"They're lyrics from an old Paul Anka song," Troy said tightly.

"I _know _they're song lyrics," she argued. "What I _don't _know is why lyrics about having a baby were on your bathroom mirror."

"Maybe _you_ could explain what you were doing in _our _bathroom," he bit out.

She threw up her hands. "Well, _somebody _has to do something about Gabi's health! You may be able to explain away a note on a mirror, but how do you explain _this?"_ Her hand dipped back into her wide pocket and pulled out a small roll of fabric.

She tossed it across the table at Troy, and he unrolled it to reveal a baby onesie that read, _"Daddy's Little Valentine". _His heart lurched as he imagined the child that would wear the tiny garment, and at the same time his mind scrambled, trying to figure out where the onesie had come from.

"Maria, where did you get this?" he choked out.

"From my dresser drawer," Gabriella answered from the doorway. Troy moved toward her, temporarily forgetting his ire as his fingers stroked the soft material. She looked up at him, her cheeks flushing pink despite her obvious stress and fatigue. "I bought it for you since the baby's due in February. It was supposed to be a surprise…"

"I love it, sweetheart," he said softly, stroking her cheek. She briefly smiled at him before her eyes lit with fire and turned on her mother.

"What were you doing snooping in our room?" she suddenly demanded.

"When were you going to tell me that you're pregnant?" Maria shot back.

"You didn't give us a chance to," Gabriella retorted. "I wanted to wait until Troy got home so we could tell you together. But instead I go outside and you start going through our things? How could you, Mom?"

"I knew something was wrong with you," Maria tried to defend herself. "I was just trying to get to the bottom of it. If you had just told me when I got here, none of this would've happened."

"Like you told me about your cancer? Mom, you hid that from me for _months!_"

"So this is revenge? You don't tell me I'm about to become a grandmother because I tried to protect you from worrying about my illness? That's so unfair, Gabi!"

"I told you, Mom, we wanted to tell you together," Gabriella shot back. "Why can't you understand that?"

Maria turned to Troy. "What I don't understand is how you could get my daughter pregnant and then leave her alone and move off to another city!"

"_Get her pregnant?" _Troy repeated incredulously. "We aren't a couple of teenagers who snuck off to make out in the back seat of a car, Maria. We are adults, _married _adults, who love each other and want to have a family together." His hands settled on his wife's shoulders. "The decision to accept the assignment in Sacramento was not something we took lightly, especially since Gabriella is pregnant. But it's a decision we made together, and if you don't like it, that's your problem, not ours."

"I encouraged Troy to accept the assignment," Gabriella interjected. "He was going to turn it down, but it's a _huge _opportunity for him, and I wouldn't let him pass it up for me."

Maria scoffed angrily. "For years you have criticized me for choosing my job over you! Now your husband is doing the same thing, and you're standing there _defending_ him!"

"It's not the same!" Gabriella was so angry that her shoulders shook. Behind her, Troy kneaded them gently, trying to calm her. "You don't _have _to work so hard. You don't _have _to live 3,000 miles away. You _choose _to! If I was really a priority in your life, you would make time for me. Troy's assignment is only temporary. In a few months he'll be back home with me full time, and we'll start getting ready for our baby's birth. Where will you be? Back in New York, working 60- or 70-hour weeks, and for what? There's nobody waiting for you when you get home. Your family, your _grandchild, _will be across the country, growing up without you in its life."

"You think you've got it all figured out, don't you?" Maria shot back. "Sometimes life doesn't go according to plan. I certainly found that out the hard way. Your father died, and everything changed. I didn't _plan _to have to raise you alone, or to have to work those long hours to support you. Did you ever think of _that, _Gabriella? What if something happened to Troy? Then what would you do? You'd have to work and support your child and raise it all by yourself. _Then _you'd see why I've worked so hard for so many years, and appreciate all the sacrifices I've made for you."

Gabriella sucked in a breath, horrified by the thought of losing Troy. She stepped forward, clutching the dining room chair as dark spots danced across her line of vision.

"Look, we all need to calm down," Troy said, glaring across the table. "Maria, would you please let it go until after dinner?"

But Maria was not ready to let it go. "When did you tell your parents about the pregnancy, Troy?"

"At the beginning of July, when they came to visit," he told her.

"And yet, if I hadn't showed up this weekend, I would've gone on not knowing about my grandchild for… how long? Would you have bothered to tell me before the birth?"

"Maria, _let it go_." Troy's command was more insistent this time, but his mother-in-law would not be silenced.

"Both of you have been begging me to come for a visit, and now suddenly you're acting like you don't even want me here!" Maria accused.

Gabriella wanted, more than anything, for the arguing to stop, but she couldn't form the words to issue the command. She absently noted that the harshness of Troy's voice was in sharp contrast to the gentle kneading of his hands on her shoulders. And she wondered why her mother sounded so far away. She blinked, trying to clear the spots from her vision, but they were growing larger, overtaking her…

Troy felt the moment that the tension in his wife's shoulders released, and he caught her as she slumped backwards into his chest. Looking down at her, he was alarmed by the ghostly pallor of her skin.

"Gabriella!" he called worriedly. She was limp in his arms as he carried her to the next room and laid her on the sofa, shoving aside the coffee table to kneel beside her. "Gabriella," he tried again, brushing her hair away from her face. Her skin was cold and clammy. He'd seen these symptoms before…

"Did she faint?" Maria asked from behind him.

Troy ignored her as he slid his fingers across his wife's neck, finding her racing pulse and counting the beats as he watched the third hand on his watch. Before fifteen seconds passed, though, Gabriella suddenly surged to life, gasping for breath and clutching desperately at her throat as if she was choking.

"Breathe, baby," Troy urged, pulling her hands away from her throat. Her head thrashed back and forth on the cushion, and tears streamed down her face.

"Troy, what's wrong?" Maria asked. "Should I call an ambulance?"

"She's having a panic attack," Troy told her. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed a couple of buttons. "I'm calling Mark. He'll get here faster."

Maria nodded and stepped back, listening to Troy's brief phone conversation.

"T-Troy, don't leave me," Gabriella gasped.

"I'm right here, sweetheart," he assured her, pocketing his phone and sliding an arm under her shoulders. "Can you take some deep breaths for me?"

She shook her head and clutched at her chest. "I c-can't. It hurts. Please…"

Troy leaned closer and caressed her face, holding her gaze. "Gabriella, listen to me. I'll make it stop hurting if you'll breathe with me. Come on, you can do it." She pulled in a slow breath, filling her lungs as he'd taught her. "Good girl. Now let it out slowly…"

She watched him, trying hard to follow his instructions as her whole body trembled.

"How long will it take Mark to get here?" Maria questioned. "Shouldn't you call her OB/GYN? What if there's something wrong with the baby? Mark won't be able to help."

Gabriella's eyes widened and her breath seized. "Troy, the baby…" The panic rose again as fear overtook her.

"The baby is fine," he assured her softly. "Can you take another breath for me?"

"How do you know that she's not having a miscarriage?" Maria pressed.

"Maria, shut up!" Troy roared.

"No!" Gabriella wanted to scream, but there wasn't enough air. "Troy, p-please, no! D-don't let anything happen…"

"Shh," Troy insisted, his voice soft and soothing. "Nothing will happen. The baby is okay. It needs its mommy to be calm and safe." He lifted her shaking hand and placed it on her belly, and then covered it with his own. "Breathe nice and slowly so the baby gets plenty of oxygen. You can do that, can't you?"

She nodded, understanding that her need to protect the baby was her highest priority. She closed her eyes and focused on the sound of Troy's calm voice and the feel of his breath against her cheek. Fears assailed her, thoughts of losing the baby or Troy, anger at her mother, and silent questions about whether she was losing her mind. She pushed them aside as best as she could, and each time Troy told her to breathe, she did so.

When Mark and Kelly burst through the front door minutes later, they immediately swung into action. Mark knelt next to Troy, listening to Gabriella's heart with his stethoscope before sliding a blood pressure cuff onto her arm. Kelly sat at her friend's feet, gently massaging Gabriella's legs to soothe and loosen the tight muscles. Gabriella barely reacted to their presence. Her eyes remained closed and her body shook tensely, but she continued to listen to and obey Troy's soft commands.

Troy glanced up when Mark loosened the cuff. "190 over 120," Mark told him quietly. "Pulse is 168."

Troy nodded and returned his attention to his wife. "Sweetheart, listen to me. I'm going to take you into the bedroom, okay? I want you to remember to keep breathing, just like you've been doing. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise. Do you understand?"

Gabriella's chin dipped in acknowledgment, and Troy pushed to his feet and gathered her in his arms. The others followed him down the hall, but before they got to the bedroom, Kelly turned back to Maria, blocking her path.

"Ms. Montez, could you get a glass of cool water and a wet cloth for Gabi?" she asked. "That would be a big help."

Maria nodded and stepped away, and Troy lowered his wife onto the bed, leaning over her to whisper in her ear.

"Gabriella, I need to talk to Mark for a minute. Kelly's going to stay here with you…"

"No, Troy, don't leave me!" she cried. "It's the baby, isn't it? There's something wrong…"

"There's nothing wrong with the baby," he told her again. "You're doing a great job taking care of it. You're going to be a wonderful mother, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead. "I'll be right back. Just a few minutes, I promise."

Troy motioned for Kelly to take his place, and she knelt beside the bed and stroked her friend's hair, talking quietly to her just as Troy had. Troy and Mark stood in the doorway for a few moments, making sure that Gabriella didn't cry out again for her husband, and then stepped out into the hall, pulling the door shut behind them.

Troy ran a hand through his hair. "What do you think? Should we take her in?"

"She seems to be stabilizing," Mark observed. "How long was she out before the episode began?"

"Less than 30 seconds," Troy told him. "I didn't finish the pulse reading before she woke up, but it had to be near 190."

Mark nodded. "Her BP is high, but the baby's not in danger. I say we monitor her vitals for a little while longer, and if those numbers don't go down, we'll go to the ER."

"I agree," Troy answered, sweeping a hand through his hair. "It's tough to see a situation objectively when it's your wife that's in trouble. Thanks for coming."

"Anything for you and Gabi, man. You know that."

Maria suddenly turned the corner and bustled down the hall toward them. "Here, I brought water for Gabi." She looked back and forth between the men blocking her path. "Troy, I need to see my daughter."

"First we need to talk," Troy told her.

"Fine, we'll talk, _after _I see Gabi," Maria replied.

"No, we'll talk _now,_" Troy said more forcefully. He gestured in the direction of the living room, and Maria huffed, turned on her heel and retreated.

"Dude, maybe I should leave you two alone," Mark whispered.

"As angry as I am right now, I think it would be better for both of us if you stay," Troy muttered in response. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he motioned for Mark to follow him.

Maria stood in the living room with her arms crossed, glaring at her son-in-law. "I _told _you something was wrong with Gabi! Why aren't you taking her to the hospital?"

"I called Mark because his specialty is emergency medicine," Troy explained. "I'd trust him with my _life. _With _Gabriella's _life. We're going to monitor her condition and try to keep her calm." He leveled a heated stare at her. "Which didn't seem to be a problem until _you _got here."

"I beg your pardon! Gabi and I had a lovely day together. She didn't get upset until _you _got home!"

"You shouldn't have taken her out in this heat," Troy insisted. "She overdid it today, and on top of that, you had to pick a fight at the dinner table!"

"_I _picked a fight?" Maria shrieked. "You didn't even tell me I was having a grandchild!"

"So you snooped through our bedroom to find out?" Troy demanded. "How is that any better?"

"I did what I had to do to find out the truth! I'm worried about my daughter, especially when you're not here to take care of her."

"We've already been through this, Maria," Troy growled. "She's okay. She's been sick because of the pregnancy. I wouldn't have taken the assignment if there was any danger to Gabriella or the baby."

"You know, Gabi was fine all day, until you got home," Maria observed tightly. "Does she have these panic attacks often, or just when you're around?"

Troy's eyes narrowed. "What are you implying, Maria?"

"Maybe my daughter is so desperate to get your attention that she's fabricating these attacks to keep you around. Did you ever think of that?"

Troy's hands squeezed into tight fists, and he struggled to control the fury that surged through him. "How dare you! Gabriella doesn't have a deceptive bone in her body. She would _never_ do something like that! How could you say such awful things about your own daughter?"

"Pregnant women are more susceptible to panic attacks, especially if they've had them before," Mark added.

"Troy?" Kelly called from the hall. "Gabi's asking for you. I don't think she's going to calm down until you come back."

Maria threw up her hands. "See? That's exactly what I mean! She's doing this to get your attention, Troy. How could you not see that?" She took a few steps toward the bedroom. "Let me talk to her. I bet I can get her calmed down in no time."

Troy blocked her path, and barely-controlled anger radiated from him. "No! This is _our_ home, and I will not stand by and allow you to treat my wife like this. She deserves better from you, Maria, and if you can't give her that, then I don't want you here." He pulled his wallet from his back pocket, retrieved a few bills, and handed them to his friend. "Mark, I would appreciate it if you and Kelly would take my mother-in-law to a hotel for the night. Everybody needs to calm down, and I don't think that will happen with us all under the same roof."

Maria's jaw dropped. "You're throwing me out?"

"Just for tonight," Troy clarified. "I think that would be best for all of us. We'll talk again in the morning."

"I have never been so insulted in all my life!" she huffed.

"Well, that makes two of us," Troy answered. "Gabriella is my top priority, and I won't let you upset her like this. Not in her condition. Go to a hotel, calm down, and figure out how to salvage your relationship with your daughter." He turned toward the bedroom. "I'll call you in the morning." Then he retreated, and a minute later, Kelly emerged.

"Ms. Montez, can I help you gather your things?" she asked diplomatically.

Maria shook her head angrily. "I'll do it myself, just like I've done everything else in my life. And if that man thinks he can poison my daughter's mind and turn her against me…"

"Ms. Montez," Mark interrupted sharply. "Let's go."

...~«ώ»~...

After Kelly left the bedroom and closed the door, Troy went to the bathroom to get a wet washcloth. His hands shook as the tap water flowed over them, and he took a minute to try to calm himself. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the bathroom and carefully laid the cloth on Gabriella's forehead. The worst of her panic attack seemed to be over, though her muscles still twitched with tension. The source of that tension was still in the house; Troy heard Maria in the guest bedroom, slamming drawers and jerking hangers from the closet. He stood protectively by the bedroom door, half-expecting Maria to charge in and demand to see her daughter, but within minutes the front door closed, car doors slammed in the driveway, and peaceful quiet descended. Only then did he relax and return to sit carefully on the bed.

Gabriella's eyes were closed, and her cheeks were wet with tears. He brushed them away gently and caressed her cheek.

"How are you doing, baby?" he asked softly.

Her eyes slid open to look at him sadly, and his heart seized at the vulnerability he saw there. New tears flooded her eyes, and she rolled onto her side, facing away from him. Troy lay down behind her and tucked his body against hers. He stroked the soft skin of her face and neck, pausing surreptitiously to check her pulse. It was still high, but it was slowly dropping, as Mark had predicted it would.

"Shh, don't cry," he soothed. "It's okay, sweetheart. Keep breathing for me, those nice big breaths so the baby gets lots of oxygen from its mommy."

"How can we be sure the baby's okay, Troy?" she sniffed. "After what Mom said…"

"The baby is fine," he repeated, slipping his hand under her shirt to caress her belly. "Have you had any cramps?" She shook her head. "Bleeding?" Another shake. "You trust me, right?" She glanced over her shoulder at him and nodded. "Then trust me when I say that the baby is safe and sound, right where it belongs, sleeping peacefully in its mama's womb."

She was silent for a few moments, seeming to consider his words, and then, to his relief, she relaxed into his embrace.

"Good girl," he murmured into her hair. "Now that that's settled, how about you? Are you all right?"

She nodded, and he waited patiently, knowing she would elaborate when she was ready.

"I'm so sorry, Troy," she finally said.

Surprised, he propped his head on his hand to see her face. "What on earth are you sorry for?"

"Everything." He noticed the waver in her voice and resumed his gentle caresses. "You've been working hard all week, taking care of those football players. The last thing you need is to come home and have to deal with my mom, not to mention take care of me."

Troy took hold of her hip to roll her onto her back and hovered over her. "Gabriella, I _love _taking care of you. You're much prettier than those football players, and you smell better too." Her lips twitched with a small smile. "I'm really proud of you for standing up to your mom."

She let out a choked laugh. "Yeah, standing up to her, until I _passed out _in front of her. That was so embarrassing." She tried to look away, but he held her gaze.

"Sweetheart, if anyone should be embarrassed about their behavior, it's your mom, not you."

Gabriella sighed. "This weekend didn't turn out at all how I hoped it would."

"How did you hope it would be?" he asked.

"Well, for starters, I wanted to have you to myself," she answered, shifting so that she lay facing him. "But now we have to deal with Mom."

"Not until tomorrow morning," Troy smiled.

She frowned. "What?"

"I asked Mark and Kelly to take her to hotel for the night. She can cool off, and I can spend some quality time alone with my beautiful wife."

Her eyes widened. "You did that? Really?" He nodded. "I bet Mom was furious."

"She was," he confirmed, "but she'll get over it. What about you? Are you okay with letting it rest until tomorrow morning?"

"I am. What about you?"

Troy pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "As long as I'm here with you, that's all I need. I missed you so much."

She tipped her chin up in invitation, and he kissed her. "I missed you too, Troy. This bed doesn't feel right without you next to me. I'm so glad you're home."

"I could stay curled up with you, just like this, all night," he commented. "It feels absolutely perfect."

She nodded and tucked her head into his chest. They lay in silence for a few moments, and then Gabriella raised her head.

"Troy, it _is_ perfect, except… I can still smell Mom's food."

He chuckled and pushed himself up, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. "Say no more, my love. I'll take care of it." He opened the door and winked back over his shoulder. "And I expect you to stay right where you are until I get back."

"I'll be here," she promised with a sweet smile that made him want to dive back into bed with her.

As quickly as he could, Troy emptied their uneaten dinner into storage containers and put them in the refrigerator. He lit a few candles to help diffuse the food smells, and then hustled back to the bedroom. True to her word, Gabriella hadn't budged from her spot. It took Troy only a moment to realize why. She was fast asleep. Sighing, he slipped into bed beside her and held her. He'd waited for her all week long. Surely a few more hours wouldn't kill him. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Gabriella would always be worth the wait.


	33. Home

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 33—Home**

**A/N: This chapter is rated M.**

When Troy opened his eyes the next morning, he was surprised to see Gabriella already awake, lying on her side with her head propped in her hand, watching him. She'd fallen into an exhausted sleep after her panic attack, and had barely stirred all night. This morning she looked fresh and rested.

"Hi. What are you doing awake so early?"

She smiled. "The baby has developed a habit of waking me up at the crack of dawn."

His face creased with worry. "Are you okay? Are you feeling sick?"

"I'm fine, Troy. One little bout of nausea, but now I feel good." She rolled onto her back and sighed. "I was just thinking about everything that happened last night with my mom…"

He pushed up onto his side, propped his head in his hand, and stroked a finger down her bare arm. "Hey, I don't want that pretty smile to go away just yet. Before we deal with that, let's spend some time enjoying one another's company."

She scooted closer to him, and her slim fingers traced the sculpted contours of his bare chest. "I _am _enjoying having my husband in bed with me again."

"Oh, is that so?" he teased, slipping an arm around her waist. He rolled, pulling her on top of him. "Well, it just so happens that I'm pretty excited to have my beautiful wife in bed with _me_."

Gabriella wriggled her hips against the ridge of rapidly-hardening flesh she felt through his boxers. "I can tell."

She lowered her head to kiss him, and his hands slipped under her cami to stroke the smooth skin of her back.

"You're so soft," he whispered.

Her lips curled into a smile against his lips. "You're so _hard._"

"Because of you," he answered, sliding his hands down to cup her backside and pull her into closer contact with his groin. "I can't seem to control myself around you."

"Control is overrated," she teased breathlessly. She kissed him again, and soon their kiss grew heated. Her tongue dipped seductively into his mouth as her fingers laced through his hair.

"Mmm," she hummed, circling her hips to rub her clitoris against his length through the thin barrier of their clothing. Troy released one of her plump cheeks to dip his hand into the front of her panties, and she squealed in surprise.

"How does that feel, baby?" he murmured against her neck.

"G-good," she stammered. She bucked against his fingers for a few moments, and then took a deep breath and scooted down, out of his reach.

"Hey, I wasn't through with you," he chastised.

"I'm not through with you either," she assured him. Her voice lowered to a sultry, smoky tone that made Troy's pulse quicken. "You've had a long, hard week, and I need to take care of my man's needs first."

He started to protest, but the words died on his lips as she lowered her mouth to his chest, trailing hot kisses along the curves of his pectorals. She lingered for several exotic seconds over each of his nipples, caressing each with long, slow strokes of her tongue.

"Gabriella," he tried again hoarsely. She looked up at him and smiled before continuing her erotic journey down his stomach. When she reached his waistband, she nipped at his tight abdominal muscles before hooking her fingers into the elastic. She shifted off of him long enough to ease his boxers down his legs and off, and then straddled him again and lowered her mouth back to his waist. Her tongue traced the thin line of hair that stretched from his navel to his groin. Troy's eyes drifted shut in ecstasy, only to fly open when her mouth left his skin. His disappointment was short-lived, and he watched as she sat up on her knees and pulled her cami over her head, baring her breasts.

"Oh, baby," he moaned, reaching out to cup the lush mounds in front of him. "You're so beautiful."

She leaned into his warm touch, and her eyes fluttered shut. Troy sat up and wrapped his arms around her, holding her as she straddled his lap. Then he lowered his head and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth. She whimpered, and he released his hold to make sure she was all right.

"Don't stop," she whispered. "Please."

Obediently, Troy lowered his head and captured her nipple in his mouth. He licked and sucked first one, then the other, as she thrust her hips toward him, craving more contact. Her movements became more frantic as her arousal grew, and he smiled against her breast.

"Easy, sweetheart," he told her. "I want to take my time and make you feel good."

"As I recall, _I _was the one who was supposed to be making _you _feel good." The sultry voice was back, and Troy felt his body respond. His penis grew harder, making her perch on his lap uncomfortable.

He tried to shift, and she pressed him back down to the mattress, looking as sexy as she sounded. He tried to object, but she laid a finger over his lips and dipped her head to give him a quick kiss. He reached for her, but again she scooted out of reach, lowering herself over him once more. Glancing down, Troy took in the sight of her black curls spread across his stomach and her bare shoulders hovering over his groin. It was extremely erotic, he thought. Then he lost the ability to think as her breasts enclosed his shaft, and she began a slow, stroking rhythm. Up and down, up and down, she slid his length through the valley between her breasts, pushing them together to tighten her hold. Troy was in heaven… and then, on her next down stroke, he felt the tip of her tongue flick into the cleft at the head of his penis. He gritted his teeth, fighting the building release, and endured two more tongue flicks before he grabbed her under the arms and hauled her up onto his chest.

"Gabriella, you're making me _crazy_," he groaned. For a moment she looked unsure of herself, and he cupped the back of her head and pulled her down to whisper roughly, "Sweetheart, when I come, I don't want it to be anywhere but deep inside your body. I _need_ to be inside you."

She shivered, and Troy captured her mouth in a fierce kiss. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, mating with her. She made a little noise in the back of her throat, something between a whimper of need and a moan of pleasure, and he was a goner. It was a sultry, sexy sound, and it crumbled his resolve to take things slowly.

He released her mouth and skimmed his hands down her sides to tug at the elastic of her panties. She understood, and sat up to slide them off before aligning herself over him and sinking down onto his hard length in one smooth movement. Air hissed between his teeth, and she bit her lower lip, adjusting her body on top of his. Her back arched provocatively as she lifted her hips and allowed him to slide inside her again. Troy's hands settled on her hips, guiding her up and down his shaft.

It was intoxicating, being gripped by her silky walls, and Troy fought the urge to drive into her. Skimming his hands up her body, he pulled her down so her breasts flattened on his chest.

"I missed you so much, baby," he murmured into her hair. "I ached for you while I was gone. I thought about you, about holding you in my arms, touching your precious body, making love to you."

"I missed that too," she whispered.

His fingers tunneled through her hair as he kissed the perimeter of her face, her jaw, and her neck.

"I love you, Gabriella," he told her seriously.

"I love you," she answered. "And I'm yours for the taking."

Her words sounded like a challenge, and Troy pulled back to see her eyes heavy with desire. Pulling her head back down, he scraped his teeth along the soft skin behind her ear, and she gasped. "Oh!"

"You're mine," he growled before soothing the spot with a few quick strokes of his tongue.

"Take me," she replied breathlessly just before his teeth sank into her skin again. The sensation was both pain and pleasure, and Gabriella retaliated by squeezing her inner muscles around his shaft. He sucked in a ragged breath and released his hold on her. She sat back on her knees, lifted up, and impaled herself on his length.

Troy's eyes squeezed shut as he struggled for control. If he watched her supple body hovering over him, riding his penis, he would explode. Sliding his hand down his chest, he found her clit with his thumb and stroked her in time with her movements.

"T-Troy," she panted. He opened his eyes to see her staring at him, her face tight with desire. Her hands were on her breasts, plucking at her nipples as her pace quickened.

"Say my name, baby," he ordered gruffly.

"Troy! Oh!" Her eyes widened. "I'm going to… oh… I'm coming, Troy…"

"Do it! Let me feel it. Come on, harder!" He goaded her as he felt the intense climax ripple through her. She cried out, scarcely able to absorb the powerful sensations that overtook her. Her thighs tightened around his hips, and as soon as her trembling began to subside, he clutched her hips and thrust up into her with all his might.

"Gab-ri-ell-a," he chanted over and over, and she recovered enough to meet his thrusts.

She reached behind to cup his sac, and he roared as his body jackknifed in release. He caught her in his arms and held her while he emptied himself in long, hot spurts inside her. Finally, when his vision began to refocus, he lay back down with her. She kissed his chest and then nuzzled into his neck, making a sweet sound of pure contentment. Troy felt completely boneless and supremely satisfied.

"That was incredible," he sighed. "_You're_ incredible." His eyelids drooped, and she smiled against his skin.

"Only when I'm with you," she answered. "I love you, Troy." He didn't answer, and she raised her head to see that he'd drifted off, his lips still curved in a sated smile. "Only you," she repeated softly, snuggling against him once more.

…..~«ώ»~…..

A couple hours later, Troy pulled up in front of the hotel where Maria had spent the night. He'd called to tell her he was on his way to pick her up, and she stood waiting for him under the wide awning. He climbed out of the driver's seat and rounded the car to take Maria's bag and open the passenger door for her.

"Where's Gabi?" she asked. "Is she all right?"

"She's fine," Troy answered tersely. "I insisted on picking you up alone because I have a few things to say that Gabriella doesn't need to hear."

Maria settled into the seat and pulled her seatbelt on. When Troy was seated beside her and the car was in motion, she crossed her arms defensively.

"I don't appreciate being thrown out of my daughter's home, young man."

"Well, Maria, I don't appreciate the way you treated your daughter. When you're a guest in _our _home, you will treat my wife with the respect and kindness she deserves. And that includes staying out of our personal things." She didn't reply, and he cast a sidelong glance in her direction. "I have some ground rules to establish before we get there. The first trimester of her pregnancy has been hard on Gabriella, and that panic attack she suffered last night showed how much strain she was under. That is _not _going to happen again. If you can't talk things over without shouting or making wild accusations, then you can expect to wind up back at that hotel. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," Maria said tightly. They rode in silence for a few moments, and then Maria took a deep breath. "Please… um… tell me about the problems Gabi's been having with the pregnancy."

"Well, she's eleven weeks along, so she's almost through with her first trimester," Troy explained. "She's had terrible morning sickness—all day, not just in the morning. The doctor's concerned about how much weight she's lost, so she put Gabriella on medication to control the nausea. It has helped, but hasn't completely stopped the nausea, and she's had headaches and dizziness as side effects." He glanced over at his mother-in-law. "It's been hard on her—harder than I ever imagined it would be—but she's a strong woman."

Maria stared down at her hands. "It must be hard for you to leave her in that condition."

"It is." His tone softened. "Maria, I want to make sure you understand that I love your daughter more than anything. Our marriage is solid, and we are thrilled to have a baby on the way. I didn't take this job in Sacramento because I wanted to be apart. I took it because it's an incredible opportunity. Gabriella understands that, and she supports me completely. I wouldn't have gone if she didn't. I don't_ like_ being away from her. I never have."

"I know," she said softly. "There's always been something very special between the two of you. I saw it the first time I saw you sing together at East High, and it's only grown stronger through the years." Her hands fidgeted in her lap. "It reminds me of what I had with Gabriella's father. We had a perfect life, the three of us. It was devastating when we lost him."

Troy looked over in surprise. His mother-in-law had never talked much about her husband's death in his presence. "I can't even imagine," he said sympathetically.

"Gabi's a lot like him," Maria murmured as she stared out the windshield. "He always put others' needs ahead of his own. Even in the hospital, when he was slipping away…" She paused to clear her throat. "…all he worried about was us. He wanted to make sure we would be all right."

Troy glanced over again, waiting as she struggled to compose herself.

"I've thought about him a lot these past few months," she confessed. "Being ill, facing your own mortality… it makes you reevaluate what's important in your life. I realized that I haven't been a very good mother lately."

"Maria…" Troy began, but she put up her hand to stop him.

"That doesn't excuse my behavior last night, I know. I overcompensated. I went from being an absentee parent to meddling in your lives, and I understand why you both were so upset. I'm really sorry, Troy. I want to mend my relationship with Gabriella, and with you."

"Thank you for telling me that, Maria," he answered. "You and Gabriella have a lot to talk about and work through, but I hope you realize that it won't happen overnight. You can't force it like you tried to last night."

"I know that. I just need to take a few steps in the right direction before I go back to New York."

Troy turned the car into the driveway and shut off the engine. Gabriella was waiting on the porch swing, and Troy waited in the car as Maria climbed out and met her daughter for a long, tearful embrace.

"So far, so good," he murmured. They had a long way to go, but it was definitely a good first step.

...~«ώ»~...

Inside, the threesome took their seats in the living room. Troy sat next to Gabriella on the sofa with his arm draped protectively behind her, and Maria sat in the chair closest to her daughter.

"How are you feeling, m'ija?" Maria began. "I was so worried last night…"

"I'm okay, Mom," Gabriella assured her, patting her husband's thigh. "Troy's checked my vitals at least ten times since last night."

"He takes good care of you, Gabi," Maria responded. "You are lucky to have such a loving and devoted man in your life." Gabriella face registered surprise, but before she could formulate a response, Maria rushed on. "Honey, I'm sorry for questioning Troy's commitment to you yesterday. I shouldn't have said the things I said to either one of you. I was out of line, and I hope you'll forgive me."

Gabriella leaned forward to touch her mother's knee. "Of course I forgive you, Mom. And I'm sorry too. I said some things last night…"

"And I deserved every one of them," Maria interrupted. "I don't know what came over me, snooping around where I didn't belong. And I robbed you of the chance to tell me that you're pregnant." Her eyes swam with moisture as she experienced the joy anew. "Oh, m'ija, a bebé! You must be thrilled!"

Troy's arm tightened around his wife's shoulders, and she smiled proudly at him. "We are," she answered. "It's a dream come true."

Maria reached for her daughter's hand and squeezed it firmly. "You'll be a wonderful mamá, Gabi. And I will try my best to be a good nana." She withdrew her hand to retrieve a tissue from her purse.

"You will be, Mom," Gabriella said softly. "And I'm glad that the cancer is gone so that you'll be around to get to know your grandchild."

"Me too," Maria smiled through her tears. "It was the cancer that made me realize that I haven't been a very good mother lately."

"Mom…" Gabriella started to protest.

"No, Gabi, it's true, and we both know it. I came here to try to mend my relationship with you, but I went about it very badly, forcing myself on you and making demands. That was wrong of me, and I understand why you both reacted the way you did. I was up all night thinking about what I could say to you, how I could explain why I acted that way. My intentions were good, but my methods were all wrong. I see that now." She paused to dab her eyes. "I want to be part of your life, part of my grandchild's life. Life is too precious to take the ones you love for granted. I haven't said it often enough, but I love you, Gabriella. I'm so proud that you're my daughter."

Choking back a sob, Gabriella surged to her feet, as did Maria, and the two met in a fierce hug.

"I love you, Mamá," Gabriella whispered against her mother's cheek.

The women hugged and cried until Maria finally eased back to smile at her daughter.

"Now, I know that Troy has to go back to Sacramento tonight, so I'm going to do a little sight-seeing on my own," Maria announced. "I'm sure you two could use some quality time alone. I'll be here until Wednesday morning, so Gabi and I will still have two days to spend together."

Shocked, Gabriella glanced back at Troy, whose expression matched her own.

"Mom, we couldn't ask you to…" Gabriella stuttered.

"You're not asking, I'm offering," she insisted. "It's the least I can do after the trouble I caused last night." She touched Gabriella's face. "It's okay, really. I don't mind."

"Thank you, Maria." Troy stood and offered a hug to his mother-in-law.

When they separated, she looked up at Troy. "It's not that I don't want to spend time with _both _of you," she clarified. "But I know how hard it is to be apart, and I think some time alone together is just what you both need." She looked back at Gabriella. "Once the baby comes, your alone time will be harder to come by. Enjoy it while you can."

Gabriella's gaze swung to Troy, and she smiled at him meaningfully. "Oh, we will. We most certainly will."

...~«ώ»~...

On Wednesday evening, Troy flopped wearily on the bed in his apartment in Sacramento. He was dead tired after another long day of training camp, and frustrated by the ongoing verbal jabs from Coach Sterling. The coach seemed intent on making Troy's tenure at UCS as unhappy as possible, but Troy was determined to stay the course. Apart from Coach Sterling and a couple of his assistant coaches, Troy had formed bonds with the rest of the staff, and he thoroughly enjoyed working with Matt, Jamie, Pete, and the student athletes.

Troy glanced at the clock and eased his phone out of his pocket, pressing the button that would connect him with the love of his life. She picked up after the first ring.

"Hi, Troy."

"Hey, beautiful. How's my favorite girl?"

He thought he heard her sniff softly. "I'm okay. How was your day?"

"My day was fine. Have you heard from your mom yet?"

"Yes. Her flight landed a couple hours ago." She sniffed again.

"Gabriella, talk to me. What's bothering you? Are you missing her?"

"Yes," she murmured. "And you. I miss you so much, Troy."

"I miss you too, sweetheart. I miss going to sleep with you beside me. But it'll only be a few more days, and then I'll be home."

"I know. It's just… when Mom was here, it distracted me, so I didn't have to think about missing you so much. But now… I… I wish you were here with me."

"I do too, baby. When I'm at training camp all day, it's not so bad, but when I come back to the apartment at night, it hits me like a tidal wave."

Gabriella heard the waver in his voice, and knew she needed to change the subject for both their sakes. She drew a steadying breath. "We got off to a rough start, but I'm glad that Mom decided to visit. We talked more than we have for a long time."

"I'm glad," he answered softly.

"And I'd say that Mom has fully embraced her role as the doting grandma. I swear we went to every maternity and baby store in this city!"

Troy's protective instincts went on high alert. "You didn't overdo it, did you? I told Maria not to push you too hard."

She giggled. "No, she followed your instructions to the letter. But I drew the line at the twice-daily blood pressure checks."

"Fine then, I'll just call Kelly," Troy muttered to himself. "She won't take no for an answer…"

"I'm fine, really! Stop worrying!" She giggled again. "Okay, forget I said that. But really, I must be gaining back some of the weight I lost. When I got dressed this morning, my shorts felt a little snug. I can't believe I'm considering that a _good _thing! Usually that would mean it's time to step up the workouts."

"Don't you dare!" he warned. When he realized she was just messing with him, he chuckled. "We're still on with Dr. Grant on Monday, right?"

"Yes." Her voice dropped. "Our first ultrasound, Troy. We're going to see our baby."

"I know, sweetheart. I can't wait. It'll be amazing." She sniffed again, and he deftly steered the conversation elsewhere. "I told you that I'd be home pretty late Saturday night, right? Our scrimmage is away this week."

"Yeah, you told me. Reno, right? How far is that from Sacramento?"

"Pete said it's about three hours by bus. With the dinner stop on the way back, we'll be back to UCS around 8:30. I hope to be on the road home by 9:00."

"Maybe you should stay there overnight and come home Sunday morning," she offered. "I don't want you driving if you're tired."

"Honey, we've been apart long enough as it is. I'm not waiting a minute longer than I have to."

"If you're sure…"

"I am," he told her emphatically.

"How's it going with the team? Are you keeping them healthy?"

"They're looking good," he told her. "And now that the weather's finally cooled down a bit, we don't have to worry so much about heat-related illness."

"That's good. Do you like the job?"

"I do. Coach Sterling's a piece of work, though. He seems intent on busting my chops every chance he gets. But I really enjoy working with Matt and Jamie and the players."

"I'm glad," she smiled. "Oh, before I forget, Chad's mom e-mailed me today to ask about putting together a party for your parents' anniversary."

"A party? What for?"

"Their 30th anniversary is in September," she reminded him.

"Really? Has it been that long?"

Gabriella laughed. "Well, babe, you're going to be 29 in a couple of months. You do the math."

Troy scrunched his face thoughtfully. "Didn't they already have a party for their 25th anniversary?"

"Yes, but we couldn't go because we were still in school then. We really should try to go if we can."

"I'm not sure how I feel about you flying to Albuquerque in your condition."

"I'll manage," she assured him. "At least check your game schedule. It's Labor Day weekend, so you should be free."

"I'll check. You might have to remind me, though."

She giggled. "Or you could just write it down now."

"Baby, it's taking all my energy right now to stay awake and talk to you. If I try to add another task, I might just collapse from sheer exhaustion, and then you'll be forced to listen to my snoring until I wake up enough to hang up the phone."

"Then it would be just like you're home," she laughed. "Go on and go to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked once more.

"Three more days, Troy. And then you're all mine."

"I can't wait." He sighed. "I'll call you in the morning, okay? I love you, Gabriella."

"I love you too, Troy. Bye."

...~«ώ»~...

Late Saturday night, Troy unlocked the front door and crossed the threshold, anxious to see the woman he'd been unable to stop thinking about all day. He'd called her before he left UCS, and though she'd said she wanted to wait up for him, she'd sounded so worn out that he fully expected to find her in bed. True to her word, she'd left the lights on for him, and he dropped his keys on the end table before eagerly striding into the bedroom. He paused in the doorway and looked at her with a tender smile. She lay on her back on top of the covers, still dressed, with a book across her chest, and she was fast asleep. The soft light from the bedside lamp gave her skin an ethereal glow, and she looked so peaceful that he couldn't bear to wake her.

He kicked off his shoes, pulled off his shirt, and emptied his pockets onto the bedside table before settling beside her. He molded his body carefully into hers, burrowing his nose into her hair to inhale her sweet scent. She shivered when his hand dipped under her shirt—actually, _his _shirt, he realized with a smile—to caress the soft skin under which their baby grew. He was intimately familiar with every inch of her body, and as soon as his palm covered her abdomen, he sucked in a breath of surprise.

"Gabriella?" He whispered, his mouth only a hair's breadth away from her ear. She barely stirred, and he spoke again, louder this time. "Gabriella!"

"Troy?" She stretched sleepily and opened her eyes. "You're home! What time is it?"

Her question remained unanswered as he lifted her shirt, pushed down the waistband of her track pants, and leaned in for a closer look. His hand skimmed carefully across her abdomen, and then he looked up at her in awe.

"Gabriella, it's… you're… wow! The baby! I can feel… there's a little bump… wow!"

She laughed delightedly as he continued to explore. "I just noticed it a few days ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"And miss seeing the look on your face?" she teased. "No way."

"I can't believe it," he went on, his voice still full of wonder. "This is amazing. _You're _amazing!"

Raw emotions swept over him. Seeing and feeling the first physical sign of a baby growing inside Gabriella stole his breath. His child grew within her. Protectiveness and possessiveness surged through him. He leaned down and reverently kissed the subtle swell of flesh.

"Hey," she called softly, and he raised his head to look at her. "Save some of those kisses for me."

Stretching out beside her, Troy pulled her close, his hand still tenderly holding her belly. Then he kissed her lips with the same reverence that he'd just demonstrated with their child.

"Have I told you lately how incredibly beautiful you are?" he murmured.

She smiled up at him. "Yes, but I never get tired of hearing it."

He leaned close, brushing his lips across her cheeks. "Gabriella, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever known. I look at you, and you're mine, and it takes my breath away. Now this… I've never seen such a beautiful pregnant woman. You really are glowing."

Gabriella laughed delightedly and covered his hand with her own. "You have a little something to do with that, you know."

He chuckled at her teasing and then gathered her closer, showering her face with tender kisses. "I love you so much. I love how incredible you are, and I love that you're pregnant with our child."

"I love you too, Troy," she sighed, snuggling contentedly against his chest. "Welcome home."


	34. Baby Steps

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 34—Baby Steps**

_A/N: SO sorry for the delay with this update. I promise to not make you wait so long for the next chapter. Enjoy!_

* * *

On Monday, Troy was back in scrubs for the first time in two weeks. Sitting in the cafeteria, he smiled and waved at passing colleagues until Mark jabbed him in the side.

"Dude, I know you're glad to be back, but could you tone it down a little? It looks like you're campaigning for office or something."

Troy chuckled. "It _is _good to be back." He tossed his balled-up napkin at his friend. "You know you missed having me around."

"Pssht," Mark scoffed. "You're not my only friend in this hospital."

"But I'm your _best _friend," Troy reminded him. "Apart from your lovely wife, of course. Speaking of Kelly, where is she today?"

"There's a critical patient in her unit, so she decided to stay with him. I'll take lunch up to her as soon as I'm done here."

Another resident passed their table, and Troy greeted him enthusiastically. Mark tipped his head to study his friend.

"Okay, man, what else is going on? You can't possibly be _this _happy to be back at work."

"Busted," Troy laughed. "Gabriella has her first ultrasound this afternoon. I can't wait!"

Mark hesitated. "She's still in her first trimester, right? Isn't it a little early to be having an ultrasound?"

"She's at twelve weeks now," Troy answered. "Dr. Grant said she wanted to take a look at the baby to make sure it's growing all right since Gabriella's been so sick. It'll be okay, though… she's gained back almost all of the weight she lost early in the pregnancy. She's _so _excited to see the baby for the first time. We _both _are!"

"You've lost your mind. You realize that, right?" Despite his teasing, Mark grinned. "I'm happy for you. You're going to be a terrific father."

Troy beamed. "Thanks, man. I can't tell you how lucky I feel right now."

Mark snorted as he gathered up the remnants of his lunch. "Well, dude, you can sit here feeling lucky if you want, but I have a hungry wife waiting on me. I'll catch you later."

"Okay. Tell Kelly I said hello."

"Will do." Mark stood and lifted his tray, waving as he wove his way toward the exit.

Troy took a bite of his lunch and pulled out his phone to check on Gabriella. As his thumb hovered over the keypad, though, someone approached his table. He looked up into the sneering face of Carl Rogers.

He sighed. "What do you want, Rogers?"

"Hello to you too, Bolton. Haven't seen you around for awhile. I figured you'd flaked out of the program. Where have you been? On vacation?"

"Hardly," Troy answered. "I just started my team physician assignment, and I've been away at training camp. I'll be logging most of my work hours with the team rather than in the hospital for the next few months."

"Oh? Where are you assigned?"

Troy hesitated, not wanting to give Carl too much information. Mercifully, his beeper sounded just then, and he glanced down to read it. "Sorry, Rogers, but I've got to run."

Before Carl could answer, Troy pushed his chair back and stood to make his exit. He suppressed his grin until he made it to the hallway, where Mark was waiting for him, phone in hand.

Troy slapped him on the back. "Impeccable timing, Dr. Davis. I owe you one."

"Getting you away from Rogers is worth more than _one_, don't you think?" Mark chuckled. "You can pick up the tab at dinner tonight."

"You, my friend, have got yourself a deal." Troy gestured at the food in Mark's hand. "Now get going. You've got a hungry nurse waiting on you."

"I'm going, I'm going," Mark insisted. He took a few steps down the hall, and then turned back. "Hey, Bolton? It's good to have you back."

…..~«ώ»~…..

That afternoon, Troy stood next to his wife as Dr. Grant examined her. They'd already done the blood tests, taken measurements, and discussed Gabriella's ongoing nausea and dizziness, and now they were about to begin the much-anticipated ultrasound.

"Okay, Gabriella, go ahead and lay back and we'll take a peek," Dr. Grant instructed. She worked quickly, sliding her patient's shirt up and tucking a towel over it. Then she rolled down Gabriella's waistband and tucked a second towel there. She pulled on a pair of gloves and then squeezed a liberal amount of jelly on Gabriella's abdomen.

"Are you ready?" Dr. Grant asked. They both nodded breathlessly, and Troy picked up Gabriella's hand and held it between his palms.

The ultrasound machine whirred to life, and Dr. Grant used the wand to spread the jelly around. Troy watched the doctor's deliberate movements until an image suddenly appeared on the screen beside them. Gabriella gasped.

"There it is," Dr. Grant smiled. "That's your baby."

On the screen, the unreadable images sharpened into focus, revealing the unmistakable silhouette of the baby. Dr. Grant pointed at the screen.

"That's the head, and here's the baby's chest. See that little flutter right there? That's the baby's heart beating. Hold on, I'll turn up the audio so you can hear it."

Troy and Gabriella stared, mesmerized and speechless, as the sound of their baby's heartbeat filled the room. Dr. Grant moved the wand some more, and pointed again.

"There's its arm, and there you can see the umbilical cord. It's too soon to determine the sex of the baby, but you two will need to discuss whether you want to know before your next ultrasound."

Troy nodded and glanced down. Tears pooled in Gabriella's eyes, and he brushed away one that escaped and rolled down her cheek towards her ear.

"I'll take some measurements now, but everything looks good," Dr. Grant told them. "The placenta is just right, there's plenty of amniotic fluid, and the baby appears to be developing nicely."

As Dr. Grant clicked keys on her computer to capture still images, Troy's gaze wandered from the monitor to the mother of his child. So vulnerable and beautiful and totally committed to the image on the screen. To his baby… their family. His chest tightened with emotion, and he moved closer until his lips brushed the shell of her ear.

"I love you," he whispered, his throat thick. "You're incredible."

"Oh, Troy." She choked on a sob, and his arms were around her in an instant.

"I know, sweetheart. I know."

Finally Dr. Grant stood, wiped the jelly from Gabriella's abdomen, and replaced her clothing. "The nurse will give you a copy of the ultrasound video on your way out. It takes about five minutes to process. And I took a few still images for you to show your families."

She reached behind the ultrasound equipment and produced a long strip of photographs. Troy and Gabriella laughed—it was at least four feet long.

"So everything's fine? The baby's okay? Gabriella's okay?" Troy asked anxiously, his wits finally returning.

Dr. Grant chuckled. "Relax, Papa. Mom and baby are doing just fine."

"Thank you," Gabriella said softly. She sat up and bent over the strip of photos, gasping and cooing as she identified the baby's tiny features.

"Come on, honey. Let's go." Troy gave his wife's arm a gentle tug, but she ignored him, pointing instead at one of the pictures.

"Look, Troy! It's a foot!"

Troy looked up at Dr. Grant apologetically. "We may need a few minutes…"

"Take your time," Dr. Grant answered calmly. "I'll see you both next month."

"Thank you," Troy smiled before moving closer to see the photos over Gabriella's shoulder.

Walking out, Dr. Grant pulled the door shut to give the young couple some privacy. _Everything's fine, _she repeated to herself. She sincerely hoped it stayed that way.

...~«ώ»~...

Two days later, Troy returned to UCS to begin his regular four-day/three-day rotation. Throughout his assignment period, he would leave on Wednesday morning and work with the football team on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. After the game each Saturday, he would return to San Francisco to spend time with Gabriella and put in some hours at the UCSF Medical Center. Classes were scheduled to start at UCS the following Monday, and the campus was already bustling with activity as students moved into dorms and finalized schedules.

On Thursday afternoon, Troy was in his office before football practice, typing up a report. The door suddenly slammed open, and Coach Sterling stood on the threshold, red-faced.

"One of my assistant coaches just told me that you benched Laughlin," the coach started without preamble. "What the hell is your problem, Bolton?"

Troy leaned forward, tenting his fingers together. "He failed a drug test. The California Athletic Board says he can't play again until he tests clean."

"Why wasn't I informed that you were drug-testing my players? What kind of game are you playing here?"

"It's no game, sir," Troy replied calmly. "You know as well as I do that there are sanctions in place against the UCS athletic program because of the actions of the previous team physician and wrestling coach. If we don't comply with their requirements, we risk fines, probation, or even disassociation from the National University Athletic League."

"First of all," Coach Sterling ground out, "the previous team physician didn't do anything wrong. The wrestling coach tried to take him down to save himself. It didn't work. They both got canned. And second, I think you'd be best served keeping your nose out of things that don't concern you. You may think that you hold all the cards, but you have _no _idea what it takes to run a successful team." He walked closer as he talked, closing the distance between the door and Troy's desk.

"Well, Coach, why don't we just agree that you'll do your job and I'll do mine?" Troy offered. "My job is to protect those players, and that includes making sure that they are clean and sober every time they suit up and hit the turf."

Coach Sterling glared across the desk. "I need Laughlin on the field for the season opener next week. And from now on, I want a list of players that you intend to drug test. I can't have you taking out my key players when I need them."

"No way," Troy argued. "Drug tests are random and arbitrary. Any player can be tested at any time, _without _your knowledge. That's the rule, and that's the way it's going to be."

The coach leaned forward menacingly. "What the hell is your problem? I've been coaching longer than you've been _alive_, and I'll be damned if I'm going to be told what to do by some newbie with a god complex! I'm warning you, Bolton. Don't cross me."

"Or what?" Troy challenged.

Instead of answering, the coach circled the desk to stand in front of the bookcase against the back wall. He slid a book out, flipped through its pages, and then replaced it on the shelf. He repeated his actions twice more, selecting random books, opening them, and putting them back. Finally, he lifted a framed photo and stared at it. It was a picture of Troy and Gabriella at Mark and Kelly's wedding in Hawaii. In the corner of the frame, Troy had tucked one of the ultrasound photos of the baby.

"Lovely family you've got there, Bolton." His lip curled into a taunting grin, and he replaced the picture frame on the shelf.

Abruptly, he turned on his heel and headed for the door, leaving Troy in confused silence.

"Don't cross me," he repeated before slamming the door shut behind him.

...~«ώ»~...

Hours later, football practice was over, and Matt locked up the training room before heading for his car. As he passed the fitness room, though, his attention was drawn by grunts and the clank of metal as someone lifted weights. He poked his head in the open door and was surprised to see Troy in the corner, shirtless and drenched with sweat, doing bench presses.

"Dude, you really shouldn't be doing that without a spotter," Matt commented as he approached. Troy grunted a reply and continued his workout, and Matt dropped his gym bag and took up the spotting position behind Troy's head. The next time Troy pushed the barbell up from his chest, Matt grabbed it and lifted it onto the uprights.

"Put on another 20," Troy told him through gritted teeth.

Matt frowned. "How long have you been in here? Since practice ended?"

"Pretty much," Troy answered.

Seeing that Matt wasn't moving towards the pile of round weights, he pushed himself off the bench and retrieved two ten-pound weights. He ignored Matt's quizzical stare as he loosened the nuts on each side of the barbell, slid the weights into place, and replaced the nuts. Then he lay back down on the bench and reached for the bar above him. Matt, however, had clamped his fist around the bar, holding it down so that Troy couldn't lift it.

"Matt, come on," Troy challenged. "Are you going to spot for me or not?"

"Troy, if one of the players was overdoing it with his workout, would you allow him to keep going?"

"I'm not a player," Troy answered.

"No, but you're also not immune to injuries," Matt replied. "You're done on the weight bench for tonight."

"Fine," Troy grumbled, standing and moving over to the leg press. He settled into position and then released the safety.

Matt tried a different approach. "Coach Sterling sure was rough on the players during practice this evening," he observed. "Didn't seem real happy with you, either."

Troy paused and looked over at his colleague. "I benched Laughlin. Most coaches aren't happy when they lose a player."

Matt shook his head. "Coach Sterling doesn't usually get under your skin. What aren't you telling me?"

The leg presses abruptly stopped, and Troy sat up.

"You know that framed picture of Gabriella on the shelf in my office?" he asked. Matt nodded. "When I came in after practice this evening, it was on the floor, broken. It wasn't like that when I left."

Matt shrugged, not understanding. "Maybe someone from the cleaning crew accidentally knocked it down when they went in to empty your trash can. I'm sure you can get another frame."

"Coach Sterling was in my office before practice," Troy insisted. "He was upset about the drug tests. He picked up that picture and commented about my 'lovely family'. Then he told me not to cross him." He shook his head. "I can't help but think he's trying to send me a message."

"Troy, I've worked with Coach Sterling for several years," Matt countered. "He's got a temper, and yeah, he's a first-class jerk, but that doesn't seem like something he would do. Maybe he just set it down too close to the edge of the shelf and it fell on its own."

"I'd like to think you're right, but my gut tells me that guy is bad news," Troy answered grimly. "I can't prove it yet, but just… keep your eyes open."

"Okay," Matt agreed. He gestured toward the weight equipment. "I think you need to call it a night, man. At least with the weights."

Troy forced a smile. "Just a few more reps on the leg press, and then I'll hit the showers."

"All right. See you tomorrow. Good night."

Troy nodded his reply and resumed his workout.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella's frustration was mounting by the minute. She knew football practice had ended more than an hour before. She'd watched the players and coaches stroll out of the athletic complex, climb into their cars, and drive away. Only a small handful of cars remained in the parking lot, and Troy's was one of them. Tired of waiting, she climbed out of the car and made her way to the complex's entrance. Once inside, she stopped to look around and reorient herself with her surroundings. It had been more than a month since Pete Massey had guided them on a tour through the maze of corridors in the massive building, but Gabriella felt fairly confident that she remembered where Troy's office was. She walked briskly in that direction, and grinned triumphantly when she finally found the door bearing her husband's name.

Drawing a deep breath, Gabriella knocked and leaned against the doorjamb, trying to imagine Troy's reaction when he saw her there. Seconds stretched by, and she knocked again. No answer. She hesitated, unsure of where else to look for him. Maybe she should just return to the parking lot. His car was there; he'd come out sooner or later. She slowly retraced her steps as her thumb hovered uncertainly over the Call button on her phone.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" A male voice suddenly came from behind her. She turned, and the young man there smiled warmly. "You look lost."

She returned his smile. "I'm looking for Troy Bolton. Do you have any idea where he is?"

The man's smile widened. "You're Mrs. Bolton, right? I recognized you from the picture in Troy's office." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Matt, one of the athletic trainers for the football team."

She accepted his handshake. "Nice to meet you, Matt. Please, call me Gabriella. I've heard a lot about you. Troy speaks very highly of your work."

"Thank you. I really enjoy working with Troy. So does Jamie, the other trainer. He's a great doctor, and that makes our job so much easier." Realizing that he was rambling, he pointed down the hallway he'd just come from. "Troy's in the fitness center lifting weights. I was just in there talking to him." He frowned. "Funny, he didn't mention that you were coming."

"It's a surprise," Gabriella explained. "I teach at UC Hastings in San Francisco, and classes start next week. I decided to spend my last few days of summer break here with Troy."

Matt grinned broadly. "What a great surprise!" He pointed again down the hall. "Go to the end of this hall and take a left. The fitness center is on the right side. Can't miss it."

"Great! Thanks so much for your help!"

...~«ώ»~...

Troy was just finishing up on the leg press machine when Jamie stuck her head into the weight room.

"Hey, Troy, have you seen Matt?" she asked. "We were supposed to go grab some dinner together, but he's disappeared on me."

"He was just in here," Troy panted. He sat up and rubbed his palms together, wincing. In his haste and frustration, he hadn't bothered to put on weight gloves before he started his workout. As a result, a large blister had been rubbed raw on the palm of his right hand, just below his index finger.

"Damn it," he muttered to himself.

"What did you do?" Jamie asked. She set her purse down on one of the weight benches and moved closer to take a look. "Ouch! How did you not notice that while you were lifting?"

"I was a little preoccupied," he admitted.

"Coach Sterling?" Jamie guessed. Troy nodded. "Yeah, he was in rare form during practice today."

"That's just it, it _wasn't _rare form for him," Troy argued. "That's his normal personality—mean and intimidating."

Jamie nodded her agreement and went to retrieve her purse. "You just have to learn to ignore him. He made all kinds of snide comments to me my first year here, but now he barely notices me. Which is fine with me."

She rummaged around in her purse and pulled out a roll of athletic tape, a gauze pad, and some antibiotic ointment. Troy couldn't help but chuckle.

"And I thought my wife had weird things in her purse! What, no icepack in there?"

With a triumphant grin, Jamie reached back into her purse and pulled out a gel icepack that could be activated with a firm squeeze.

"Touché," Troy grinned. "But really, I don't need my hand wrapped. I'll just swab it with alcohol when I get back to my apartment."

Jamie shook her head. "Nope. The same rules for the team apply to their physician. We'll get this done a lot faster if you quit arguing and hold still."

"Fine," Troy muttered, wondering irritably why his trainers were suddenly so keen to boss him around. Deciding to turn the tables on Jamie, he watched her cunningly as she cut the tape to the right size. "So, you and Matt, huh? Having dinner? What's that about?"

Jamie turned to rifle through her purse again, but not before Troy saw a blush spread across her cheeks.

"We're friends," she finally answered.

Troy knew that he was onto something. "But…?"

Jamie returned with the antibiotic ointment and stood over Troy as he straddled the weight bench, cradling his hand between the two of hers. "But nothing. We've… discussed… more, but it's a bad idea to let feelings get in the way, especially when we work together every day…"

Movement in the doorway caught Troy's eye, and he looked up, stunned to see Gabriella standing there. She was as white as a ghost, and her eyes darted suspiciously between Troy—shirtless and sweaty—and the woman holding Troy's hand. He was so shocked to see her that it took him several seconds to realize how easily she could misunderstand what was happening between him and Jamie.

"Gabriella," he exclaimed when he finally found his voice. "What are you doing here?"

When she spoke, her voice was tiny and unsure. "I… um… wanted to surprise you…"

"I'm surprised, all right!" He stood and rushed to hug her, but stopped short when he realized how sweaty he was. Instead, he had to settle for a quick kiss. Then he took his wife's hand and turned toward his colleague.

"Sweetheart, this is Jamie, one of our athletic trainers," Troy quickly explained. "Jamie, this is my wife Gabriella."

Jamie smiled sincerely. "It's so nice to meet you, Gabriella. Troy talks so much about you that I feel like I already know you!"

Gabriella's expression showed her confusion. "Nice to meet you too. I'm sorry, what is it that you do here?"

"I'm an athletic trainer for the football team," Jamie answered. "Matt is the other trainer. Troy's our supervisor."

"Matt and Jamie," Gabriella muttered as realization dawned. She shot a look at Troy, and then returned her gaze to the other woman. She was pretty and thin, with short blonde hair and sparkling green eyes.

Just then, Jamie's phone chirped with a text message, and she pulled it out to read the screen. A smile spread across her face.

"It's Matt," she reported. "He's waiting for me in the parking lot. I have to go. It was nice meeting you, Gabriella. Troy, make sure you take care of that blister."

"See you tomorrow," Troy called after her. When he turned back to Gabriella, the battle of emotions was clear on her face. He squeezed her arms, wishing again that he could hug her.

"I can't believe you're here," he told her. "What a wonderful surprise!"

"Matt and Jamie," she said again, still trying to process the new information. "You never told me that Jamie is a woman."

Troy paused, searching his memory. It wasn't a detail that he'd deliberately concealed, but as he thought about it, he realized that she was right.

"I'm sorry, honey," he replied with a shrug. "I guess around here she's just one of the guys."

Gabriella forced a smile. "Any man who sees her as 'one of the guys' needs to have his eyesight checked."

He frowned at the underlying accusation in her voice. "Gabriella, it's not a big deal."

"All right," she nodded, but he thought he saw tears sparkling in her eyes as she turned toward the door.

Stepping forward, Troy took hold of her arm and spun her to capture her mouth in a possessive kiss. She hesitated for a moment, and then relaxed into the kiss. When he pulled away, he tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"I'm really glad you're here, baby."

"I missed you," she murmured.

"I missed you too," he answered. "I _really _need a shower, but after that, I'm all yours."

He pulled on a shirt, slung his gym bag over his shoulder and took his wife's hand, leading her toward the parking lot.

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy woke the next morning, he feared that Gabriella's surprise visit had been a dream. But as he shifted, the arm around his waist tightened and the warmth of her body pressed more tightly against his back. She made a soft mewling sound that told him she was still asleep, so he turned to face her, careful not to disturb her. He loved watching her sleep. Her eyelids fluttered, her lips pouted, and she automatically reached out for him. Guilt tugged at him, and he wondered how many times she'd reached for him and had come up empty since he'd been away in Sacramento. Troy thought again of the broken picture frame in his office, and his gut tightened. He was glad that Gabriella had come to spend time with him, but now he had to worry about keeping her away from Coach Sterling.

Unable to help himself, he traced a finger along her jaw. She looked so beautiful and peaceful. He couldn't tell her about his run-in with the coach. She would worry too much about him and not enough about herself. He wanted her visit to be fun and carefree, especially since it had begun so awkwardly. She hadn't said anything else about Jamie after he'd emerged from the shower the night before, but he couldn't forget the image of her shocked face in the fitness room's doorway. They'd gone out for a romantic dinner in the city, returned to his apartment, made love and then drifted off to sleep.

As he watched, her face suddenly tightened, her lips puckered, and her eyes scrunched. He pushed up onto his elbow.

"Gabriella?"

Her eyes flew open and she sat up, flinging the covers to the side.

"Bathroom," she choked as she stood and dashed there, slamming the door behind her. She turned on the water faucet, but it didn't conceal the sound of her retching.

Sighing, Troy pushed aside his covers and sat up on the edge of the bed, waiting for her to finish. Her morning sickness was definitely better than it had been early in the pregnancy, but she still suffered a bout or two most mornings. Troy heard the toilet flush and the pounding water in the sink slow to a trickle as Gabriella brushed her teeth. When the door opened and she emerged, Troy stood to help her back into bed.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked indulgently. "Maybe some tea or juice?"

She shook her head, tucking the covers around her again. "Not right now. I need some time for my stomach to settle."

Troy climbed in beside her and pulled her into his arms. She tucked her head into his chest, and he kissed her forehead. His palm dipped between them, finding the small swell of Gabriella's abdomen and rubbing it gently.

"Listen, Baby Bolton," he said sternly. "I thought we had a deal. You're supposed to stop making Mommy sick."

She smiled. "Great. Our baby's going to be born with a guilty conscience. He'll need therapy before his first birthday!"

"But she'll know not to disobey her father," he countered. Realizing something, his eyebrows arched. "Did you just say 'he'?"

Gabriella nodded. "Did you just say 'she'?"

"I did," Troy confirmed. "Do you know something that I don't?"

She laughed. "Your guess is as good as mine at this point. But we _do_ need to decide, like Dr. Grant said, whether we want to find out the baby's sex at the next ultrasound. Do you think we should?"

He studied her seriously. "What do _you _want to do?"

"I asked you first."

"But your vote counts more."

"Why do you say that?"

He gestured back toward the bathroom. "Because you're dealing with the not-so-pleasant parts of pregnancy. I'm just along for the ride."

"That's silly. You've been with me every step of the way. I couldn't have done this without you." She teased the hair on his chest. "Come on, Troy. I really want to know what you think."

He looked at her thoughtfully. "Okay, but if I tell you, it doesn't mean that it _has _to be that way. I'll be fine with whatever you decide." She nodded her consent. "Well, if it was completely up to me… which it's _not, _by the way…"

"Troy," she whined. "Just tell me."

"Honestly… I don't want to find out. I'm so excited to be having a baby with you that I just… I don't know, the sex of the baby doesn't really matter to me. Whether it's a boy or a girl, we're going to love it like crazy."

She smiled and stretched up to kiss his stubbly chin. His arms tightened around her.

"Okay, your turn, beautiful. Tell me what you're thinking."

"Well, from a practical standpoint, it would be easier to decorate a nursery and buy supplies if we knew whether we needed blue or pink," she pointed out. "But… not knowing is… it's like the most amazing surprise that a couple can experience together. I want that. I want to experience that with you, Troy, in the delivery room, when we see our baby for the first time."

Touched, he lowered his head to kiss her. "I want that too, sweetheart."

"It's settled, then," she sighed happily. "Baby Bolton will be one of the best surprises of our lives."


	35. Suspicious Minds

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 35—Suspicious Minds**

_A/N: Big hugs to Robin, my friend/editor/taskmaster/cheering squad. She makes this story better because she isn't afraid to challenge me and say 'I don't love it.' Thanks for believing in me and never letting me settle._

* * *

On Saturday afternoon, Gabriella sat in the bleachers at the UCS football stadium, taking in the sights as she waited for the team to emerge from the locker room. Although this was a preseason game, the stands were filling quickly with UCS students eager for a chance to socialize. The UCS Bulldog mascot was heckling fans in the opposite stands as the marching band lined up in the end zone for their pregame show, and the smell of charcoal and brats and popcorn wafted through the stands. A siren suddenly went off atop the press box, and on cue, the UCS football players jogged out onto the field. The crowd erupted in cheers as the players spread out across the field for their warm-up routine. The coaching staff and trainers followed the players, and Troy and Pete Massey were the last to emerge from the tunnel. When they reached the team's sideline, Troy turned and squinted towards the bleachers. His eyes scanned until he finally found her, and he sent a smile and wink her way. Then he turned back and set to work, helping Matt and Jamie set up the water stations for the game.

Gabriella chewed on her bottom lip as she watched them work. Troy looked handsome in his red polo shirt, khaki pants, and UCS cap. It was identical to the cap she was wearing, the one he'd bought for her at the campus bookstore the day before so she'd "blend in with the crowd." Gabriella frowned, thinking about his odd choice of words and the strange way he'd been acting throughout her visit. Her gaze slid to the petite blonde working on the sidelines. She hadn't mentioned Jamie again after their awkward meeting in the fitness room on Thursday night, but the fragment of conversation she'd overhead played over and over again in her mind: _"It's a bad idea to let feelings get in the way, especially when we work together every day…" _

She trusted Troy, she reminded herself. He'd never given her any reason _not _to trust him. But she was perplexed by his odd behavior. She'd wanted to come with him on Friday afternoon to watch the team practice, but he'd launched into a litany of reasons why that wasn't a good idea. It was too hot. It was a closed practice. It was too nice of a day to be stuck watching a bunch of sweaty football players. And when she'd offered to wait in his office when a last-minute staff meeting was called, he'd balked again, tossing her his keys and telling her to go on back to the apartment. Even today… she'd planned to sit in the stands behind the UCS bench, where she could watch Troy up close, but he'd insisted that she sit farther up, in the shade of the press box.

Shaking her head to clear the confusing jumble of thoughts, she refocused her attention on her surroundings and smiled when she saw Pete Massey making his way up the bleachers' steps toward the press box. She waved excitedly, and he grinned when he spotted her. Instead of wading through the crowd to get to her, he gestured for her to join him. She stood and worked her way to the aisle, where he greeted her with a friendly squeeze.

"Gabriella! It's so good to see you again!"

"It's good to see you too, Pete. I can't believe how many people are here for a preseason game!"

He chuckled. "This school eats, sleeps, and breathes football. This is nothing compared to our regular season crowd."

She glanced across the crowd and frowned when she saw that her seat was about to be swallowed up by the growing crowd. "Uh oh! I'd better get back to my seat while I still have one!"

Pete shook his head. "You don't need that seat. You're going up to the press box with me."

She gaped at him. "No, that's not necessary. I mean, I'm sure there are tons of coaches and scouts and reporters already…"

"Not in my executive suite," he interrupted merrily, taking her by the elbow and guiding her up the stairs. "Team physicians' wives get special treatment here." She turned to frown at him suspiciously, and he put up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, Troy asked me to take care of you while he's on the field. He's a good guy."

Gabriella sighed. "He _is _a good guy, but he shouldn't be asking for special favors…"

"Having a beautiful woman in my suite is certainly not a hardship," Pete interrupted. "Come on! The chairs are way more comfy than bleacher seating. And did I mention that it's air-conditioned? It's your first game at UCS—you deserve to watch it in style!"

"All right, all right," she finally consented with a laugh. "Lead the way."

…..~«ώ»~…..

From her comfortable seat in the executive suite, Gabriella watched as the game progressed. Her attention, though, was focused more on the sidelines than on the field. She watched Troy work, smiling at his calm confidence. She'd seen him in action as a doctor many times, but she could tell, even from this distance, that sports medicine was his niche. His experience as a high school and college athlete afforded him a level of understanding and empathy that served him well. He interacted easily with the players, trainers, and assistant coaches, though she noticed that he kept his distance from Coach Sterling. _Smart move, _she silently commended him.

"Gabriella, when are you and Troy planning to head back to San Francisco?" Pete asked, breaking through her reverie.

"Um, we haven't decided yet," she answered. "I guess it depends on how long the game lasts."

"Well, I hope you stick around. My wife and I would love to treat you both to a nice dinner this evening." Pete winked at her. "It's never too early to start selling you on all that Sacramento has to offer."

Gabriella had been taking a sip of water, and she nearly choked at his comment. "Wh-what do you mean, 'selling us on Sacramento'?"

"Well, it's no secret that we're looking for a full-time team physician after Troy's assignment is finished. We're interviewing candidates in the next few weeks, but I'm very impressed with Troy's performance so far. If he continues to do a good job, he may very well be in the running for a permanent position here." Pete frowned at her apparent shock. "Surely he's told you that that's a possibility."

"I… we… I mean, we haven't, um… we haven't really discussed it…" She paused, trying to focus her racing mind. She didn't know if Troy was interested in a full-time position here, but she certainly didn't want to say anything to jeopardize his chances. "I'm glad to hear that Troy's work here is meeting your expectations. I know he's a great doctor, but some might argue that my opinion is biased."

Pete laughed good-naturedly. "You're a lawyer! I thought lawyers were supposed to be free from bias."

"Not when it comes to my husband," Gabriella replied with a smile.

"There's a law school here in Sacramento," Pete continued on with his sales pitch. "Lincoln Law School. Okay, so it's not as prestigious as Hastings, but I'm sure we can arrange an interview for you with the dean."

Gabriella's heart stuttered. Give up her job at Hastings to move to Sacramento? She _loved _her job at Hastings. But she couldn't hold Troy back from an amazing job offer like this. After all, he'd rearranged his college plans, his entire _future, _to follow her to California ten years earlier. How could she notdo the same for him?

Fortunately, Pete's attention was distracted by a UCS receiver who had just caught a pass and was sprinting toward the end zone. The other people in the spacious suite stood excitedly, and outside, the UCS fans leapt to their feet, cheering and screaming as the young man crossed the goal line. Touchdown!

Gabriella was the first one in the suite to notice the motionless player on the ground near the line of scrimmage. Troy and the trainers ran onto the field, and the crowd's celebration died as they realized that one of the UCS offensive guards was down. Time seemed to stand still as Troy knelt beside the young man, bending close to talk to him. Matt and Jamie hovered behind him, awaiting his instructions.

"Player down," Pete said into his two-way radio. "Emergency Dispatch, stand by."

"10-4," the reply crackled back.

Gabriella wondered if Troy could feel the thousands of eyes focused on him. He turned to say something to Matt, and Matt knelt behind the player's head to carefully remove his helmet. Jamie handed him a towel. The crowd seemed to relax when they saw the player move his arms. Troy pulled his radio from his belt, and a moment later, his calm voice filled the suite.

"Bolton here. Possible concussion, no spinal injury. EMS transport, stand by. Bulldog One, dispatch field ambulance."

"Roger that," another voice acknowledged, and almost immediately, an ambulance golf cart rolled onto the field. Jamie met the cart and went to work unfastening the straps on the attached stretcher while Troy and Matt flanked the player and helped him to his feet. The crowd cheered and the player managed a brave wave before walking the few steps and settling onto the cart. Jamie secured the straps quickly and climbed on beside the injured player. Troy sat beside the driver, and they drove off the field, disappearing into the wide tunnel on the opposite side of the field.

"I'd better go check on the kid," Pete told Gabriella. "I'll be back soon."

She nodded and sank back into her chair as the extra point sailed through the uprights and the crowd cheered again. Troy _was _good at this job, she silently conceded. And she wondered whether she would ever really be sold on Sacramento.

...~«ώ»~...

The game drew to a close, and Gabriella let out a small sigh of relief. Although Jamie had reappeared on the sideline below, Troy and Pete were still missing. Gabriella threaded her way through the crowd toward the athletic complex and smiled when she caught sight of Troy in the hallway outside the training room. He grinned when he saw her, and she quickly closed the distance between them.

He glanced down at his polo shirt, smeared with dirt and damp from sweat, and help up a hand. "Sweetheart, I don't smell very good…"

She didn't care. She pressed her body against his, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her cheek against his chest.

"I'm so proud of you, Troy," she murmured. "You were great out there."

His arms tightened around her. "Thanks, baby. It gave me a boost, knowing you were here cheering us on, just like when you used to come to my games in high school and college. Did we win?"

She nodded and then pulled back to look up at him. "How's the player doing? The one that got hurt?"

"Mild concussion," he answered. "We sent him on to the hospital for further tests and observation, but I think he'll be just fine."

"Good," Gabriella sighed, relaxing back into him. She suddenly realized how weary she was, and she stifled a yawn against his chest.

Troy loosened his hold and tipped her chin up to study her face. "Are you feeling okay? You look tired."

She smiled sagely. "That seems to be common theme with this pregnancy."

He frowned slightly. "Why don't you go on back to the apartment and rest? I'll be there as soon as I'm finished here."

"Pete said he and his wife wanted to take us out to dinner tonight."

"He mentioned that to me too, but you look like you could use a quiet evening in."

She shook her head. "I just need a quick nap and then I'll be good to go. Really, I'm fine."

Pete emerged from the training room and smiled at the young couple.

"I'm sorry for leaving you to fend for yourself up there, Gabriella," he apologized. "I hope you enjoyed the rest of the game."

"I did," she answered. "Thank you for inviting me to your suite."

"Pete, I need to help Matt and Jamie ice the players," Troy told him. "Would you please walk Gabriella out to her car?"

"That's really not necessary," Gabriella protested. "I know the way."

Pete waggled his finger at her as if she was a naughty child. "I told you, young lady, team physicians' wives get special treatment around here. It's no trouble at all."

"Thank you," Troy replied, glancing meaningfully at the older man. He gave his wife one more squeeze and kissed her forehead, and then pulled his apartment key from his pocket and handed it to her. "Get some rest, beautiful. I'll see you soon."

"Okay," she agreed. She waited until Troy disappeared back into the training room before turning back to Pete. They walked down the corridor, but when they turned the corner, two young men rushed toward them. One shoved a microcassette recorder under Pete's chin; the other stood by with his pencil poised over his notebook.

"Mr. Massey, could we have a few moments of your time?" one of them asked.

"Can you give us a statement regarding the condition of the player who was injured during the game today?" He paused to press the Record button on his device and then repeated the question.

"I take it you're with the campus newspaper?" The young men nodded, and Pete stifled a groan. "Gentlemen, if you'll just give me a minute…"

"Are you refusing comment about your injured player?" the first man demanded. "Our readers want to know whether we'll be starting the season one man down."

Pete turned regretfully toward Gabriella. "I'm sorry, but I need to take care of this…"

She waved him off. "I can make it the rest of the way. Go! Duty calls."

Grateful that she understood, he turned back in the direction they'd just come from, muttering something about overzealous journalism majors. "Gentlemen, right this way. We'll talk in my office."

Gabriella chuckled as she watched the men follow Pete down the hall, still peppering him with ridiculous questions. Resuming her walk, she found her way back to the parking lot. She was rounding the front of her car when a deep voice startled her.

"Well, well, if it isn't Mrs. Bolton…"

Gabriella turned to see Coach Sterling leaning casually against the outside wall of the athletic complex. He was tucked in behind the landscaping, not necessarily hiding, but certainly out of most people's line of vision. A shiver raced up Gabriella's spine as she remembered her last encounter with the coach.

"Hello, Coach," she said coolly. "Congratulations on your win."

"Thank you." He pushed off the wall and closed the distance between them so quickly that Gabriella fumbled and dropped her keys. She bent to pick them up, but he got there faster, scooping them off the ground with a haughty grin.

"Careful now, Mrs. Bolton. You shouldn't be bending in your_ condition_." His voice dripped with arrogance and sarcasm.

She lifted her chin to hide her discomfort. "I'm fine, thank you." She held out her hand, but he swung the keys around his finger instead of handing them back.

"How does your husband like his job so far?"

"You would have to ask him," she answered. "I can't speak for him."

He took a step closer. "Well, maybe you should speak _to _him. Tell him to loosen up on the reins. He's liable to flame out before his career even gets started."

Gabriella crossed her arms. "Troy is good at his job. He doesn't need any advice from me."

"His job doesn't seem to be the only thing he's good at. It seems that Dr. Bolton and his little blonde trainer have been enjoying one another's company quite a bit lately."

A brief flicker of doubt crossed Gabriella's face before she schooled her features back to neutrality. Coach Sterling, a man who'd built his career on his ability to read his opponents to find and exploit their weaknesses, caught that flicker and knew he was onto something.

"I have to give you credit for trusting your husband around someone as attractive as Jamie. She's got quite a reputation around here, or so I've heard," the coach told her, pleased to see the slight widening of her eyes. None of it was true. Several of his assistant coaches had tried to make a play for Jamie, only to be shot down. Still, Gabriella didn't know that, and he intended to take full advantage of her apparent insecurity about the other woman.

"Did it hurt when he moved to Sacramento and left you in San Francisco?"

Sterling took another step closer, and she backed up until her back was against the car. He put his hand on the car next to her head, his face so close that she felt his hot breath on her skin. "Let me give you a little piece of advice, Mrs. Bolton. A man can only face temptation for so long before he gives in to it. His career, and your marriage, is at stake."

"You're lying," she demanded. Her voice wobbled ever so slightly—a product, she told herself, of stress and fatigue, not doubt.

He put up his hands in mock-surrender. "Time will tell." He held out her keys and dropped them into her hand. "Have a safe trip back to San Francisco."

Gabriella stood frozen, watching as he walked away. "You're lying," she whispered again, but in her heart, she wasn't at all sure that he was.

...~«ώ»~...

That evening at dinner with Pete and Carol Massey, Troy worried over how quiet Gabriella was. She'd been asleep when he'd returned to the apartment, waking just in time to get ready for dinner. They'd made small talk in the car, but she'd seemed distant and distracted. Now, she had her head hunched over her salad, barely listening as Pete and Troy talked about sports.

"Pete said you're a law professor, Gabriella. What do you teach?" Carol asked across the table.

Gabriella didn't answer, and Troy laid a hand on her knee to get her attention. She looked up, realizing that the conversation had stopped and they were all looking at her. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Pete chuckled. "You were a million miles away. I'm sure you've heard more than your fair share of sports talk over the years."

"Amen to that!" Carol interjected, leaning forward to pat Gabriella's hand. "I understand completely, dear. I've been a sports widow for _years!_ And our son is just as bad. He played soccer in college, and now he's an assistant coach at a high school in Fresno."

"My dad coaches high school basketball in Albuquerque," Troy added with a smile. "When I was a kid, Mom was outnumbered, and she used to joke that she didn't have any more kids because she'd _never _win if it was three against one. She was thrilled when I married Gabriella and evened the boy-girl ratio." He snaked his arm around Gabriella's shoulders. "Of course, if we have a little boy, then Dad and I are back on top!"

Pete and Carol laughed, and Gabriella managed a smile in Troy's direction. Then, eager to change the subject, she looked across at Carol.

"Troy said your son was in an accident recently. How's he doing?"

Carol sobered and looked at her husband. "He's okay. Thank God for airbags. The other driver ran a red light and plowed right into him. He had some scrapes and bruises, but no serious injuries. It was truly a miracle."

Pete nodded in agreement as the waiter appeared to refill drinks. Gabriella seized the opportunity to excuse herself to go to the restroom. Troy caught her hand as she stood.

"Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

"I'm fine, Troy. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Those few minutes passed quickly as Gabriella sat in the small lounge attached to the women's restroom trying to compose herself. Thoughts swirled in her mind, fighting for her attention. Coach Sterling's warning. Pete's sales pitch for moving to Sacramento. And the chilling fear that something was going on between Troy and Jamie. Combing a shaking hand through her hair, she stood and pushed open the restroom door to splash some cool water on her face. Then she looked around, and, seeing that she was alone in the room, she lifted her blouse to look at the safety pin at the closure of her pants. It was giving her an extra inch of space around the waistband, but the fit was still snug. She unfastened the pin to reposition it, hoping to loosen it a few more centimeters. Before she could get it refastened, the door opened and Carol Massey walked in. The pin poked Gabriella's finger and she bit back a cry, her face blushing crimson.

"I'm… I'm sorry, I was… no one was in here, and I… um…"

Carol waved her hand dismissively. "No, no, don't apologize! Troy asked me to check on you. I didn't mean to startle you." She walked forward to take a closer look at Gabriella's dilemma. "How far along are you, dear?"

"Thirteen weeks," Gabriella answered. "My belly just started growing a little over a week ago, but suddenly I'm bigger _everywhere! _Waist, hips, breasts… even my shoes feel tight!"

"Oh, I remember that stage," Carol said warmly, taking the pin from Gabriella's hand and kneeling to work on securing her pants as loosely as possible. "You're not ready for maternity clothes yet, but you feel like you're going to bust out of your regular clothes." She winked up at Gabriella. "Trust me on this, dear—Elastic is a pregnant girl's best friend."

Somehow she managed to maneuver the pin into place, and Gabriella let out the breath she'd been holding. Her pants seemed a little looser, and she sighed with relief.

"That's better. Thank you."

Carol stood and pulled Gabriella into a warm hug. "Treat yourself to some new clothes. Your body's going through all kinds of crazy changes, and you'll feel better about yourself if you're comfortable."

Gabriella smiled at the older woman's kindness. "Thank you. This is all new to me."

"I understand, honey. I really do. I have three grandkids, so I've been through this with my daughters."

"Oh, I didn't know you had more kids. Troy's only mentioned your son."

Carol rolled her eyes. "Brad is the apple of his father's eye. He's our youngest, and he's following in his father's footsteps, so I'm sure Pete talks about him far more than the girls."

"How old are your grandchildren?"

"Six, three, and two. Of course, my son's the only one who's not married, so I never hesitate to remind him that it's about time to settle down and give us more grandchildren. I even tried to fix up that pretty athletic trainer with him last week, but it didn't work."

"J-Jamie?" Gabriella couldn't seem to get away from hearing that name.

"Yes. Lovely girl. I tried to convince her of what a fine catch my Brad is, but she turned me down." Carol winked conspiratorially. "Between you and me, I think she's already got her eye on someone else."

Gabriella nearly choked. "She s-said that?"

"Not in so many words, but women have a way of knowing these things without having to be told. Someone on staff at UCS, that'd be my guess."

Two more women came into the restroom then, and Carol tugged at Gabriella's arm.

"Are you ready, dear? We shouldn't keep our men waiting."

She felt like hiding in the lounge for the rest of the evening, but Gabriella squared her shoulders and nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

...~«ώ»~...

By the time dinner was over, Gabriella had a throbbing headache, and Troy watched her with growing concern. Though she'd repeatedly insisted that she was fine, he was certain she wasn't. He had no idea how much turmoil swirled in her mind, but he could see pain etched in her features. As soon as the bill came and Pete waved away Troy's offer to split it, the young couple excused themselves and headed for the car. Once outside, Troy put his arm around Gabriella's waist to support her, and she leaned her head into his shoulder. He opened the car door and settled her into the passenger seat, and then crouched on the pavement next to her. Her eyes were closed and her head lolled back against the headrest, and he laid a hand on her forehead, checking for fever. Then he stroked a finger down her cheek and turned her face toward him.

"Gabriella, what's wrong? And don't tell me you're fine."

Her eyes slid open enough to reveal tears swimming there. "My head hurts. Please just take me home."

"Sure, sweetheart," he answered softly, pushing to his feet and closing the car door carefully.

Fifteen minutes later, they were back at the apartment, and Gabriella lay motionless on the bed. Troy gave her some pain medication, which he assured her was safe for the baby, and then laid a cold wet washcloth across her forehead. She didn't have a fever, and he suspected that her headache was a product of her busy day. She dozed off quickly, and he carefully lay beside her, trying his best to keep still to avoid disturbing her. Tired from his equally busy day, it didn't take long for him to fall asleep beside her.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella woke Sunday morning feeling better. She rolled over to find Troy's side of the bed vacant and then realized that the shower was running. Letting her eyes drift closed, she tried her best to block out the thoughts that had been bothering her. She would talk to Troy, she decided, and get everything out in the open. Beside her, Troy's phone buzzed on the end table. Thinking he'd forgotten to shut off his alarm, she picked it up and looked at the screen. It wasn't the alarm, but rather an incoming call. From Jamie. Her stomach lurched, and she covered her mouth with her hand, willing herself not to get sick. The ringing stopped, and Gabriella realized that the shower had also shut off. Tears burned her eyes as she struggled to understand what was happening. Not ready to face Troy until she could get her emotions under control, she laid down the phone and pulled the covers up around her face just as the bathroom door opened.

Gabriella's eyes slid closed, and she listened to Troy's movements around the apartment. She heard him approach the bed and held still as his warm hand settled on her forehead, checking again for a fever. She was about to open her eyes and greet him when his hand lifted away and picked up the phone from the bedside table. He walked away then, toward the kitchen area, and called his voice mail. After listening to Jamie's message, he dialed her number and spoke in hushed tones, making it difficult for Gabriella to hear what they were talking about. The tidbits she picked up didn't make her feel any better: _Not a good time. My wife is in town. _And then, worst of all: _I'll meet you in half an hour. _

Gabriella continued her act as Troy hastily finished dressing, and only opened her eyes drowsily when he sat on the bed beside her and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Good morning," he greeted. "How's your head?"

"Better," she answered honestly. "What time is it?"

"Just after eight. Honey, I need to run over to the athletic complex for a few minutes. One of the players that got hurt yesterday just came in with really bad swelling. They need a second opinion."

"They? Matt and Jamie?"

"Uh, I'm not sure if Matt's there. Jamie didn't say. But I shouldn't be more than half an hour. I'll do some X-rays and figure out what we need to do." He reached over to sweep a curl off her face. "How about if I bring you breakfast when I come back? You barely ate last night—you must be starving."

"Okay," she nodded.

He bent down to kiss her again, first on the forehead, then the tip of her nose, and finally her lips. She smiled at his tender gesture.

"I'll be back soon. Call me if you need anything." He pushed to his feet.

"Troy?" He stopped, and she drew a deep breath. "I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart. I'll see you soon."

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy walked into the training room, Jamie was waiting for him.

"I'm _so _sorry to bother you," she began. "On Sunday morning, with your wife here…"

He waved her off. "It's fine. What's the problem?"

She gestured toward the young man on one of the tables, his knee wrapped with ice. "It's Shelvin Price. He said he twisted his knee near the end of the game yesterday. There was barely any swelling last night, and he could put weight on it, so I iced it and sent him on his way."

"Okay, let's take a look." Troy walked over and greeted Price and then pulled the ice pack away from his knee and began his inspection. "Shelvin, when did the swelling start?"

"Last night. I stayed off of it like Jamie told me to, but when I woke up this morning, it was blown up like a balloon. Do you know what it is, Dr. B?"

Troy simply shook his head and continued with his exam, carefully bending, straightening, twisting, and testing. He murmured his conclusions from each test, and Jamie dutifully jotted notes.

"Valgus and Varus tests, negative. Posterior drawer, negative. Lachman, negative."

He repositioned his hands, one on the player's knee, the other on the bottom of his foot, pushed and turned, and pressed on the knee. Price howled with pain, but not before Troy heard the telltale click he'd been testing for. He lowered Price's knee back to the table and replaced the ice pack on the player's knee. Then he gestured for Jamie to follow him into the consultation room.

"McMurray test appears positive," he told her. "We'll do a couple X-rays just to make sure nothing's broken, but I think it's a torn meniscus."

Jamie sighed. "Crap. I'm sorry, Troy. I should've caught it after the game, but it didn't seem serious."

"Meniscal tears usually don't present right away," Troy reminded her. "It can take up to 48 hours for the pain and swelling to start. Surely this isn't the first tear you've seen."

"No, but I'm not used to dealing with them on my own."

"You did the right thing by calling me. The delayed swelling makes it a little trickier to catch." He paused thoughtfully. "Gabriella had the same injury a couple years ago, and it was about 36 hours before the swelling really kicked in."

"Athletic injury?" she asked.

"No. Trauma." He didn't elaborate, and she sensed that it wasn't something he wanted to talk about.

"How long have you two been married?"

"Four years." He smiled. "But we've been together much longer. We were high school sweethearts."

Jamie chuckled, and Troy looked at her curiously.

"What's so funny?"

"You get this dopey grin on your face when you talk about your wife," she observed wryly.

"I do not!"

"Oh yes you do," she insisted. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, for heaven's sake. You two seem like a perfect match."

Troy's smile returned. "I think we are. I'm crazy about her, that's for sure."

Jamie laughed and pointed at his face. "Yep, there's the dopey grin. Or maybe we should call it the 'Gabriella Grin.'"

"What about you?" he shot back. "I've seen a few dopey grins on _your _face when Matt's around! Hey, didn't you two go out last night?"

"No comment," she answered, although her grin revealed that Troy's guess was right on target. "So what do we do about Price?"

"Changing the subject, huh? I'll put him in a compression support and refer him to the Sacramento Ortho Clinic tomorrow. He may not need surgery, but he'll be out for at least a few weeks."

"Coach Sterling won't be happy."

Troy shrugged. "Coach Sterling isn't happy about much of anything, so I'm not worried. Come on, let's get these X-rays done so we can get out of here."

...~«ώ»~...

By the time Troy iced and wrapped Price's knee, gave him instructions, and booked an appointment for him at the local Ortho Clinic, he was well overdue to be back at the apartment. Still, he drew up a tentative rehabilitation plan and went over exercises with Jamie, since she would oversee Price's care until Troy returned to UCS on Wednesday. And he left messages for Coach Sterling and Pete Massey explaining the situation.

Finally, more than two hours after he'd left the apartment, he bustled in juggling sacks of breakfast food. He stopped short when he saw Gabriella in the kitchen area, her arms crossed and her eyes full of fire.

"I'm sorry it took so long, honey. The paperwork took longer than…"

"Troy," she interrupted. Her voice sounded strange, and he walked toward her, dumping the sacks on the kitchen table as he passed it.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? What's going on?"

A rough, strangled laugh gurgled up her throat. "What's going on? I don't know—you tell me."

"What are you talking about?" He stopped in front of her, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms.

"Let's start with this morning. You're not scheduled to be here. You're usually in San Francisco on Sundays. You're not due back on campus until Wednesday. Yet Jamie somehow knows you're nearby and calls you at 8:00 in the morning. And of course, you leave me to rush over there to be her knight in shining armor!"

Troy's eyes narrowed. "She called because a player was hurt and she needed my help. It's my _job _to take care of injured players. You know that!"

"What I _know _is that it takes a lot of gall for a woman to call her boss on a Sunday morning when she knows he's with his wife!"

Troy crossed his arms. "What exactly are you implying? That Jamie has some kind of ulterior motive? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard!"

Fire blazed in Gabriella's eyes, and she jabbed her finger into his chest. "What am I supposed to think, Troy Bolton? I show up here Thursday night to find you two together in the weight room, with her holding your hand and talking about having feelings for someone she works with. And then, for the rest of the weekend, you're bending over backwards to keep me away from her. Closed practices, heat, emergency meetings… even handing me off to Pete to put distance between us at the game. And all this time, all around me, people are singing Jamie's praises. 'She's so talented. She's so smart. She's so pretty.'"

"I never said that!" Troy argued, his anger rising. "And I can't believe you thought I kept you away from the team because of _Jamie! _Please tell me you don't actually believe that there's something going on between us!"

"Come on, Troy, things have been strange between us this weekend—don't tell me you haven't noticed! You've done everything you could think of to keep me away from the training room, away from the team, away from your coworkers. It's like you have two different lives—one in San Francisco, and one here, and I don't belong in your Sacramento world."

"That's ridiculous! You're my wife! You belong wherever I am! And I wasn't trying to keep you away from my job, I…" Troy hesitated, not wanting to tell her about Coach Sterling's veiled threat. So he changed his tack. "I know you aren't a huge sports fan. Just because I'm immersed in football doesn't mean you have to be."

"I came to Sacramento to see _you_, not to sit in this apartment all day waiting for you. I'm interested in this game and this team because _you're _a part of them." Gabriella turned away from him to stare out the window, trying to control the tears that burned the back of her eyes. "It's _hard, _Troy. Being away from you, not being a part of your everyday life, not having you around when I need you most."

He came over to stand behind her, settling his hands on her shoulders. "I _know _it's hard, sweetheart. How do you think I feel every time I have to kiss you goodbye and drive away? It's like getting punched in the gut. I _want _to be home with you, but I've got a job to do here."

She turned to face him. "I get that, Troy. But right now, I'm feeling like I'm in second place in your life. This school, this job, this _woman… _they're all winning the race for your attention. I… I don't know how to compete."

"I don't believe this." Troy's hand slammed down on the counter next to her. "Damn it, Gabriella, what have I _ever _done to make you think I would do something like that? I work around women _every day, _and I've _never _given them as much as a second glance. I chose _you. _I married _you._ I made a commitment to you, and I've been faithful to you every day for the last _eleven years! _And for you to stand there and make such a cruel accusation…" He moved away, pacing the floor like a caged animal. "How could you not trust me? How could you accuse me of such a thing?"

The hurt in his eyes cut her to the core. "I didn't accuse you of anything! I'm just trying to understand why you're acting so strange."

"I shouldn't have to explain myself to you, Gabriella. You're supposed to trust me. I've never given you a reason _not_ to trust me."

"I never said I didn't trust you!" she shot back. "But I have to wonder what Jamie's intentions are, especially after the coach..."

Her words were cut off by the ringing of Troy's phone. He extracted it from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and then turned away guiltily as he raised the phone to his ear.

"I'm sorry, but this isn't really a good time… He said _what?_ That's ridiculous! He can't do that! Have you talked to Pete? Call him and ask him to meet us. I'll be there in 15. Don't even think that. It'll be fine. We'll get it straightened out. Okay, bye."

When Troy turned back toward the kitchen, Gabriella stood watching him, her arms wrapped defensively around her waist.

"It's Jamie, isn't it?" she whispered.

"Damn it, Gabriella, it's not what you think." Troy plowed a hand through his hair. "Coach Sterling is trying to get Jamie fired because she didn't catch that player's injury last night. It's a meniscal tear—the symptoms don't present right away." He walked toward her. "I need to go get this straightened out. I'll be back as soon as I can…"

Her eyes flooded with tears. "And you still don't understand why I feel this way."

"We need to finish this discussion," he told her. "As soon as I get back…"

She shook her head. "I'm leaving, Troy. I'm going back to San Francisco. Do what you need to do here, and we'll talk when you get home."

"Gabriella, I don't want you driving when you're upset like this. Please, just stay here, eat breakfast and calm down, and we'll drive home together. Everything will be okay."

His phone rang again, and he hurriedly kissed her cheek and headed for the door. She watched him leave and waited for the door to close before she allowed herself to release the sob that was lodged in her chest. _How _was everything going to be okay? She had no idea.

...~«ώ»~...

Despite Troy's request, Gabriella decided to drive back to San Francisco on her own, knowing that she needed to finish preparations for her first day of school on Monday. It was her third year teaching at Hastings, but while experience made her less worried about her lesson plans, her impending maternity leave made her anxious to prove her worth to the college's new board members in a shorter period of time. Troy was still not home by the time she went over her lesson plans and closed her laptop; he'd called earlier to check on her and to let her know that he'd be home in a few hours. Their conversation had been brief and tense, their argument still hanging unresolved between them.

Needing something to keep her mind occupied, Gabriella opened the closet to find an outfit to wear for the first day of school. She had a collection of business suits, tailored trousers, blouses and jackets, and modest skirts, and she looked over her choices before selecting a dove gray suit with white pinstripes and feminine scallops. Kicking off her shorts, she pulled on the skirt and was startled to find that she couldn't close the zipper. Tossing that outfit on the bed, she picked out a black suit with red trim. It didn't fit. Gabriella's despair grew with each ensemble she tried on and discarded onto the bed, and the tears that had been lurking near the surface spilled over.

She didn't hear Troy's car pull in, and so he found her huddled on the floor in front of the closet, her face wet with tears and nearly her entire wardrobe piled on the bed. He went into the bathroom to retrieve a box of tissues and then sat beside her, wanting to comfort her but unsure where things stood between them.

"Hi," he began.

"You came home," she said softly. "I wasn't sure that you would."

"Why wouldn't I come home?"

She shrugged and looked away. "Did you get everything taken care of with Jamie?"

"I took Price to the hospital for an MRI, and I was right—it was a torn meniscus. Pete and I met with Coach Sterling and showed him the test results. Jamie gets to keep her job."

"That's good, I guess."

He gestured toward the pile of clothing on the bed. "What's all this about?"

"I was trying to decide what to wear to school tomorrow," she explained, though her voice wobbled enough to tell him that there was more to the story.

"What did you decide on?" he asked cautiously.

A fat tear rolled down her cheek. "I didn't. I… they… nothing fits." Her face dropped into her hands as the tears came harder, and Troy slid his arm around her shoulder.

"You mean your clothes don't fit because your stomach's starting to grow?"

She choked on a bitter laugh. "It's not just my stomach, Troy. _Everything's _growing. Don't tell me you haven't noticed that I'm getting fat. And then there's Jamie, looking all thin and beautiful."

"Damn it, I don't care what Jamie looks like! Why can't you let this go? She works for me. We're friends. That's _all! _Why won't you believe me?"

"I _saw _you in the weight room! She was holding your hand and talking about having feelings…"

"She was talking about _Matt! _They like each other, but they don't want it to interfere with their jobs. She's not interested in me! Remember the blister on my hand from the weight bench? She was going to clean and wrap it. _That's _why she was holding it. There's nothing going on between us, I swear."

"Okay ," she answered, pushing away and moving to stand up. "I don't want to fight with you anymore. I shouldn't have brought it up again. I'm sorry."

"Hey." He stopped her with a hand on her arm. "This isn't really about Jamie, is it? Come on, talk to me. Tell me what's bothering you."

She stared down at her hands for so long that Troy wondered if she was going to answer. Finally, she sighed. "I've worn the same size since high school, and now, I'm getting bigger, and… I don't know… "

Realization dawned, and Troy understood her unspoken question.

"Gabriella," he murmured, pulling her onto his lap. She tucked her head under his chin and relaxed against him, and he covered her stomach with his hand. "Honey, you have a tiny person inside you, and in order for the baby to grow, you have to grow too. Don't ever think for a second that your pregnancy makes you less attractive to me. Knowing that you have this precious life inside, a baby that you and I created together, is the most beautiful thing I could ever imagine."

Touched, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I really needed to hear that."

He pulled back to search her eyes. "So are we good?"

She smiled. "We're good."

"That's my girl." He lowered his head and sealed it with a kiss.


	36. Cheers and Challenges

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 36—Cheers and Challenges**

"Here's to Dr. Bolton and Dr. Davis, the newest, and handsomest, _senior _residents at UCSF Med Center!" Kelly's toast was met with laughter and the celebratory clink of glasses.

At the end of the week, Troy and Mark would officially finish their first phase of medical residency and move into their senior residencies, the last step before they were fully licensed and certified in their specialty areas. Kelly and Gabriella had decided to celebrate the accomplishment with a double date at a new steak house that had just opened in San Francisco. The men had complained about having to dress up, but the first glimpse of their wives' dresses had shut them up in a hurry. Kelly wore a low-cut champagne satin jacket over a short black fringe skirt and leopard print heels. Gabriella wore a pewter-colored chiffon cocktail dress with thin straps that crossed over her bare back. The front was embellished with a jeweled lace overlay that dipped to her waistline. Her fuller breasts were highlighted beautifully, and in Troy's eyes she looked like a Greek princess, complete with thin silver bracelets snaking up her arm. They sat in a high-backed booth, and Troy couldn't seem to keep his hands off his wife's bare skin. His loving, possessive attention thrilled Gabriella to her very core.

Once they'd drunk their toast, Gabriella nestled into Troy's side, and he smiled down at her, snaking his arm around her to skim his fingers up and down her arm.

"Dude, have I told you how mad I am that you have this weekend off?" Mark asked.

"Once or twice," Troy chuckled. "It just happened to work out that my parents' anniversary fell on a weekend where UCS doesn't have a football game."

"You still should be working at the hospital, though," Mark grumbled.

"The Ortho Clinic is closed this weekend," Troy reminded him. "It's your own fault for choosing such an in-demand specialty. How many days off did you really expect to get in Emergency Medicine?"

"Yeah, well, while you're wrapping joints and writing up therapy plans, I'm down there saving lives."

"Boys, boys," Kelly interrupted. "Does everything have to be a competition with you?"

Troy and Mark looked at each other and then nodded.

"Yeah," Troy answered.

"Pretty much," Mark added.

Kelly shook her head in exasperation. "Gabi, what are we going to do with these two?"

Gabriella studied Troy thoughtfully. "I don't know about you, Kel, but I've got way too much invested in this one to let him go now."

"Hey!" Troy looked wounded, jutting out his bottom lip in protest. Gabriella leaned up to kiss his puckered lip, forcing a smile that ended his pout.

Kelly looked up at Mark, twisting her lips in consideration. Finally, she nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. This one's too cute to let go." She patted Mark's cheek playfully, and he smirked across the table. His celebration was short-lived. "Then again," Kelly continued with a wink, "look at Troy, all tanned and healthy-looking from all those hours on the football field. You…" She poked Mark in the stomach. "You need to get out more. You're pale. You spend so much time in the ER that you could give a vampire a good run for his money. Maybe I need to check you for fangs."

"I vant to suck your blood," Mark cackled in a dreadful impression of Count Dracula. "Bwa ha ha ha!" He lowered his mouth to Kelly's neck, but she batted him away with a laugh.

"Okay, okay, I'll keep you," she acquiesced. "But behave yourself!" She heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes toward Gabriella, knowing full well that Mark had no intention of behaving himself. She decided a change of subject was in order. "What time does your flight leave on Friday?"

"8:30," Troy answered. Gabriella noticed the subtle protective tightening of his arm around her. "Gabriella's nausea is usually not as bad in the evenings, and I'm hoping she'll be able to sleep on the flight."

Kelly patted her friend's hand across the table. It would be Gabriella's first time on a plane since she'd found out she was pregnant, and she was nervous.

"Didn't you say it was a surprise party?" Mark asked. Troy nodded. "Where are you staying Friday night if your parents aren't supposed to know you're in town?"

"We're staying with Chad and Taylor in Santa Fe," Gabriella answered. "Chad's parents are the ones who are throwing the party. They've been friends with Jack and Lucille since the boys were little."

"Thirty years of marriage," Kelly marveled. "That's so rare these days."

"I think it's inspirational," Gabriella replied, threading her fingers through Troy's. "I love the thought that 26 years from now, I'll still have this wonderful man by my side."

"Aw, thanks, baby," he murmured, lifting her chin to kiss her. Under the table, her free handle settled high on his thigh, and she gave him a playful squeeze. His eyes widened slightly before he regained his composure.

"How come you don't say stuff like that to me?" Mark whined to his wife.

Kelly winked at her friends. "I plan to cut you loose as soon as I get my hands on the Davis fortune."

Mark laughed. "'The Davis fortune'? If you're referring to my mountain of college loans, babe, I'll sign them over to you now and walk out of here a free man."

"Wait, there's no Davis fortune?" Kelly's face scrunched with teasing puzzlement. She thought for a few moments and then blew out a resigned sigh. "Well, I guess I'm stuck with you then."

"And that's the greatest treasure of all," Mark grinned.

Kelly rolled her eyes. "See, I don't need to compliment you. You do just fine on your own."

Troy raised his glass in a mocking toast. "Here's to the Davis fortune—such as it is."

"Here, here," Mark enthusiastically replied, lifting his glass. He pouted when neither of the women lifted their glasses, and Troy set his back on the table.

"How about this?" Gabriella raised her glass. "Here's to friendship and lasting love."

"Now _that's _worth toasting," Kelly replied.

Their glasses clinked, and their celebration carried on long into the evening.

…..~«ώ»~…..

Friday evening, when their flight to Albuquerque was in the air, Troy watched Gabriella closely for signs of illness. When she managed to fall asleep with no apparent signs of airsickness, Troy allowed himself to doze as well. He'd driven home from Sacramento after work that day, and he was beat. Gabriella managed to sleep fitfully for awhile, but when she woke, she was fidgety. Her movements roused Troy, and after several seat adjustments and position changes, she sighed with frustration.

"What's wrong, honey? Are you sick?"

"No, I just can't seem to get comfortable." She frowned at the pillow in her lap and punched it a few times before putting it behind her head.

Troy chuckled and let his eyes slide closed again. Gabriella shifted again, moving closer to him, so close that he could feel her breath on his neck. He peeked through one eye and saw that she was sitting sideways facing him, her legs pulled up under her. She wrapped both hands around his arm and snuggled closer. He offered her a lazy smile, patted her knee, and closed his eyes. He was starting to doze again when one of her hands moved across his chest and her fingers began languidly tracing the contours of his muscles. She traced his pectorals, and then worked her way down each hard ridge of his abs, until she reached the waistband of his jeans. When her hand started to dip into his pants, his eyes flew open.

"What are you _doing?_" he hissed.

She looked up at him, batting her lashes innocently. "I've missed you. I was trying to get reacquainted with one of my favorite parts of your body."

"I was only gone for three days," he reminded her.

"I know, but I've just… lately I've been kind of…" Her cheeks flamed, and she looked away in embarrassment.

Troy slid a finger under her chin and lifted it. "Tell me. 'Kind of' what, sweetheart?"

Her eyes darted away. "I've been… _missing_ you more…" She leaned closer, so her lips brushed against his ear. "…in bed. I can't stop thinking about you, fantasizing about all the ways I want you." His eyes widened, and she pulled back and blushed again. "I… I don't know what's come over me."

Now Troy was wide awake. "Maybe you're thinking about our last visit to Albuquerque, when we had our little tree house adventure." Gabriella shifted uncomfortably again, her cheeks crimson. He leaned closer to whisper in her ear. "Are you wet right now, baby? Because of me?"

"T-Troy," she choked. She already felt like her insides were about to combust, and yes, she _was _wet thinking about the man next to her. She looked back at him, and he was surprised by the heat in her gaze.

Seeing and enjoying the effect he was having on her, he grinned wickedly. He went on, careful to keep his voice low enough that only she could hear it. "Tell me, baby. Tell me how you're thinking about me on top of you, _inside _you, making you come. It's making you wet, isn't it?" Biting her bottom lip, she nodded, and his grin widened. "Are you thinking about asking me to join the Mile-High Club with you? Because I'm definitely upfor the challenge."

She glanced at his crotch and saw that he was, in fact, _up. _Leaning forward, she flicked her tongue against the shell of his ear. "Sex in the bathroom of the plane is not what I had in mind. But last time we were in Albuquerque, you mentioned a few… ideas… you had about us. Locations… and, well, the past few days, I've been… thinking about them. And maybe adding a few... ideas… of my own."

Troy's eyebrows shot up. Who was this woman, he wondered, and what had she done with his wife? "Like what?"

"When we were in high school, I thought about… in your truck."

"I did too! You know, when I used to take you home after our dates, and I'd kiss you until your mom turned on all the lights to let us know that she knew we were there?" She smiled at the memory, and he went on. "Driving home, those nights, I imagined what it would've been like to pull you onto my lap and lift your dress and… _touch _you the way I wanted to."

"My idea was more romantic, like spreading blankets in the back and laying there, looking at the stars…"

"We _did _that a few times in college before the truck finally died," he pointed out. "Though the beach in Palo Alto was never quite deserted enough to get very far."

"What is it with you and beaches?" she teased.

"You bring out the adventurer in me," he returned with a wink.

Just then, the seatbelt light blinked on, and the captain's voice came over the intercom, announcing that they were preparing to land. As quickly as the seductress persona had taken over, it vanished again, and she sat back, fanning herself.

"Wow, Gabriella, do you realize what just happened? You didn't get sick on this flight!" He looked out the window to see the familiar Albuquerque city lights. "Maybe we've discovered the secret—a little sexy talk to pass the time. Maybe whenever we fly, we just need to have conversations like this one. I certainly don't have a problem with that. What do you think?"

He turned back just in time to see Gabriella reach for the airsick bag. He sighed and reached over to pull her hair back. They'd been so close…

"Then again, maybe not."

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy got up on Saturday morning, he left Gabriella in bed, hoping she would sleep off the nausea from the flight. Eli was awake, and he sat in his high chair gurgling and squealing as Chad played peek-a-boo with him. Taylor cut up a banana and set it on Eli's tray to keep him occupied while she cooked breakfast, and the men laughed when the toddler promptly smashed it into mush.

"Hey man, how about a quick game of one-on-one to work up our appetites?" Chad invited.

Troy chuckled. "What a way to start the day—by whooping your butt!"

"In your dreams, Bolton," Chad returned. He hesitated. "Hey, Tay, do you need my help?"

She waved her spatula dismissively. "I'm fine. I wouldn't dream of coming between you and your lunkhead basketball game."

They didn't need to be told twice. Chad grabbed his basketball, and they headed out the back door. A few minutes later, Gabriella appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Hey, sleepyhead! How are you feeling?" Taylor asked from the stove.

"Okay," Gabriella answered before pulling up a chair in front of Eli. "Oh, Taylor, he's growing so fast! I can't believe he's a year old!" She tickled his banana-coated chin and he gurgled a happy greeting.

"Almost fifteen months now," Taylor clarified. "He's walking—running!—and talking up a storm. Eli, can you say hi to Aunt Gabi?"

"Gabi," he echoed, grinning when Gabriella clapped her hands delightedly.

"What a big boy," she praised, and then turned her attention to Taylor. "What can I do to help?"

"Just what you're doing," Taylor answered. "Keeping that boy entertained is a job in itself. He definitely has his father's attention span!" She handed Gabriella a pancake from her growing stack. "Here, you can tear this up for him. I think he's wearing more banana than he actually ate!"

"Nana," Eli responded. Gabriella gave him bites of pancake, laughing when he shoved them into his mouth.

Taylor turned from the griddle to grin at him. "Yep, he eats like his father, too." She continued working, glancing back at her friend. "How's school going?"

"It's going well," Gabriella answered. "My Intro to Health Law classes are _huge_! I'm really lucky to have a good graduate assistant. Otherwise, I'd be running myself ragged."

"You told me about him, right? Stanford grad, top of his class, not unlike someone else I know?" Taylor winked at her.

"That's him," Gabriella affirmed. "His name is Nick, and all the girls in the class are in love with him. A few of the boys, too, I think."

Taylor laughed. "Hey, whatever it takes to get them to pay attention to the lectures!"

Gabriella pretended to huff. "I'd _like _to think they pay attention because my lectures are interesting, not because there's a hot guy in the front of the room!"

Taylor glanced back again curiously. "And Troy's okay with you working with a 'hot guy' while he's off in Sacramento?"

Gabriella shrugged. "There's no reason for him to worry. Nick could have his pick of women, and I'm sure his first choice wouldn't be a dumpy pregnant woman. Even if I was interested or available, which I'm not."

"'Dumpy pregnant woman'?" Taylor echoed incredulously. "Honey, have you looked in the mirror lately? You look great!"

"My clothes don't fit," Gabriella responded. "At least the nausea isn't as bad now that I'm my second trimester, but it can still hit me when I least expect it." She laid a hand on her belly. "Troy's been amazing, though, telling me how beautiful I am and how excited he is about the baby."

Taylor nodded, handing her another pancake for Eli. "Troy will be a _great _father. And you'll be a terrific mother."

"Thanks," Gabriella answered softly. She leaned forward again to tickle Eli again, and he seized the opportunity to grab her face with his pancake-and-banana-coated hands.

Taylor snorted. "Eli! Look at what you did to Gabi's face! Now she looks like you!"

Eli laughed in response and touched his own face, smearing it with bananas and pancakes. "Yucky!"

Gabriella stood and went to the sink to wash her face, but she stopped in her tracks when she glanced out the window and saw Troy on the basketball court, his shirt off, his hair damp with sweat. Heat flooded her insides, and she bit her bottom lip. Taylor looked out the window to see what her friend saw, and then refocused her attention on Gabriella.

"See something you like out there?" she teased.

Gabriella blushed deeply and busied herself with washing her hands to avoid answering.

"Hey, there's nothing to be embarrassed about," Taylor went on, nudging her. "He looks great. My man looks pretty darn good too, I must say."

Gabriella glanced out at Troy again, feeling uncomfortable, as if Taylor could hear the dirty thoughts that were suddenly racing through her mind. Taylor studied her for a moment and then smiled knowingly.

"How far along did you say you were?" she asked.

"Four months next week," Gabriella answered absently.

"Mm hmm," Taylor nodded. "Sounds about right. Fourth month is when the hormones kick into overdrive."

Gabriella pulled her attention away from the men outside to frown at her friend. "What?"

"The fourth month of pregnancy, as I recall, is when you start having very strong…" She glanced over at Eli. "…_urges_. Of a sexual nature. Am I right?"

"Taylor!" Gabriella exclaimed, mortified. But Taylor knew she was right when Gabriella's teeth sunk into her bottom lip again.

"Honey, it's totally normal! Your hormones are running wild. Enjoy it! Run with it! I swear, Chad and I had some of the best sex…"

"Taylor!" Gabriella nearly shrieked.

Taylor squeezed her arm. "Okay, okay, probably too much information." She winked. "I have a book I'll loan you… it'll give you some _great _ideas…"

Mercifully, the door opened and the men shuffled into the kitchen. Gabriella could instantly see that Troy was in pain, and she rushed to his side as he collapsed into a chair.

"What happened?"

"It's nothing," he said dismissively. "Just a stitch in my side. I get them when I run sometimes. No big deal, really."

"Dude, why can't you just admit that I beat you fair and square?" Chad prodded. "Faking an injury like that? Shameful!"

"Whatever, man," Troy shot back. "That's the only way you _can _beat me!" He returned his attention to Gabriella, who was staring at him worriedly. He pulled her down into his lap. "I'm fine, beautiful. I promise. The pain's almost totally gone now."

She looped her arms around his shoulders. "That's too bad. I was looking forward to kissing it to make it all better."

"Oh," he groaned teasingly. "The pain's back! I need a kiss!"

She laughed, relieved that he was okay, and leaned in to kiss him. His arms tightened around her waist, and for a moment, they were in their own little world. He pulled back reluctantly and winked at her.

"How are you feeling this morning? Any more nausea?"

"Okay so far," she assured him. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving," he told her before glancing up at Taylor. "I hope you made a _lot _of pancakes!"

She laughed. "Coming right up."

...~«ώ»~...

A few hours later, Troy huddled in a crowded room at Charlie and Sandra Danforth's home in Albuquerque, waiting for the guests of honor to arrive. Jack and Lucille thought they were coming over for a small get-together, a barbeque with the Danforths and a few other friends. They had no idea that nearly forty guests waited there to surprise them. Troy recognized his parents' longtime friends and colleagues, but many in the crowd were strangers to him.

Troy shifted uncomfortably. He'd eaten _way _too many pancakes for breakfast in an attempt to keep up with Chad, and his stomach rumbled unhappily. Gabriella turned around to smile at him, and he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her back against his chest. His fingers widened across her belly, and he smiled into her hair. Since her stomach had started to grow, she'd been wearing loose clothing to conceal her pregnancy, particularly at school, where she hadn't yet shared the news with her colleagues or students. Today, though, she wore a white sundress splashed with red flowers and green leaves, and Troy was pleased to see that the fit of the bodice highlighted rather than concealed her pregnant curves. With the thin straps that crossed on her back and her hair piled on top of her head, there was a luscious amount of bare skin on display, and Troy lowered his head to kiss her neck. She reacted with a shiver and devilishly wiggled her backside against his groin, causing _him _to shiver.

"They're here! They're here!" The whispered exclamation spread through the room like wildfire, followed by hushed warnings to stay quiet. On the other side of the door, they heard Lucille and Sandra enter the room, followed a few seconds later by Jack and Charlie. Charlie's voice boomed louder than necessary to tip off the waiting guests, and suddenly those closest to the door burst forward, shouting "Surprise!" and laughing at Jack and Lucille's stunned expressions. As guests spilled out of the cramped room, the guests of honor greeted them enthusiastically. Troy and Gabriella were near the end of the line, and when Lucille saw them, she covered her hands with her mouth and squealed.

"Surprise," Troy repeated with a grin. Lucille pulled him into a hug. When she released him, she hit his chest with mock-consternation.

"You said you were working all weekend," she accused.

"Sorry, Mama," he replied easily. "A little white lie for a good cause. Happy anniversary!"

Jack stepped forward to hug his son, and Lucille moved on to wrap her arms around Gabriella. "And how are _you _doing? How was the flight?"

"Not bad," Gabriella answered. "It's good to see you again!"

"You look beautiful! The glow of pregnancy really suits you." She looked down at Gabriella's stomach and gently laid her hands there. "Look at you, you're blossoming! Jack, it's our grandchild!" Tears welled up in her eyes, and Jack moved closer to hug his daughter-in-law.

"How are you feeling?" he asked anxiously. "Still having the morning sickness?"

"It's getting better," Gabriella told him. "Don't worry about me, though… we have an anniversary to celebrate!"

The guests around them cheered, and Sandra began herding them toward the back yard where there was more space and more seating. Jack and Lucille chatted enthusiastically with them as they moved. Troy laid a hand on his wife's bare back, and she turned back to look at him.

"Have I mentioned how gorgeous you look in that dress?" he asked softly.

"You have, but I'll need to hear it at least five or six more times to get me through the day," she teased.

He leaned close to her ear. "You know what's getting _me _through the day? Thinking about how gorgeous you'll look _out _of that dress."

Her eyes darkened with desire and she slid a hand into his hair to pull his head down to her level. "That'll take too long," she purred in his ear. "You could just pull my dress up around my waist, slide my panties to the side… that is, if I'm _wearing _panties… Either way, I like the idea of a quickie against the nearest wall." She looked around as if searching for a suitable wall, and Troy swallowed hard. Who _was _this woman?

"Troy, come out here," Jack called from the patio door. "There are some guys I want you to meet."

Gabriella winked at him and preceded him out the door, deliberately swishing her hips as he watched helplessly. _Damn._

Outside, Troy and Gabriella made the rounds, meeting guests they didn't know and greeting Jack and Lucille's longtime friends and co-workers. Charlie Danforth fired up the grill, and Chad arrived just in time to assist while Taylor helped her mother-in-law in the kitchen. Troy settled into an animated discussion with several of his dad's current and former assistant coaches, but kept his eye on his wife as she chatted with a couple of Lucille's friends from work. Finally he excused himself and went over to stand behind her, skimming his fingers down her bare arms as the ladies she'd been talking to moved on.

"I've been searching for the prettiest girl at this party, and I believe I just found her," he told her.

"Charmer," she accused with a soft laugh.

"Nope," he argued, dropping a kiss behind her ear. "You're the prettiest girl at _every _party. That's why I married you, so I can have you all to myself."

She leaned back against him, and he could feel fatigue radiating from her.

"Sweetheart, I think you should go inside for a little while," he told her. "You need to rest and get out of this heat."

"I'm okay…" she started to argue. Troy began kneading the muscles of her neck and shoulders, and it felt so good that she almost moaned. "Mmm, maybe I _do _need some pampering."

"You do, and I'm the man for the job," he answered. "Now that you're in your second trimester, you're going to get tired more easily, especially with the difference in altitude. Your body has to adjust to the thinner, drier air."

She turned to look up at him. "What about you? You're sweating."

"Nah, I'm fine," he insisted, turning her so he could continue his massage. "I grew up here, remember? And besides, I'm not pregnant." He lowered his head to kiss the hollow on the back of her neck.

"If you're trying to get me to cool off, that's _not _the way to do it!"

Troy laughed. "Okay, okay, let's go inside and I'll fix you a plate."

She nodded in surrender and he took her hand to lead her into the house. When he sat next to her on the couch and handed her a plate and a bottle of water, she eyed him curiously.

"Why aren't you eating?" she asked.

He smiled sheepishly. "I'm, uh… still working on those pancakes from this morning."

Gabriella frowned. Troy was not a man that missed many meals. "What do you mean, 'still working on' them? That was hours ago."

"It's just a touch of indigestion, that's all. Way too much starch first thing in the morning. I should know better."

"The doctor's not taking his own advice, huh?" She giggled.

"That's not a doctor thing, that's a _man _thing," Lucille interjected as she walked in with a heaping plate. She sat down and leaned towards Gabriella to wink conspiratorially. "They like to _give _advice, but they're not so great at taking it themselves."

"Hey, no fair ganging up on me," Troy protested. "Where's Dad when I need him?"

"He just took over grilling duties so Charlie can eat."

"I think I'll go see if he needs help!" Troy stood and made his escape, nodding to Taylor as he passed her on her way to the living room.

Lucille motioned for Taylor to join them, and she took Troy's spot on the couch next to Gabriella.

"Where's Eli?" Gabriella asked.

"I finally got him down for a nap. He's so much like Chad—always on the go, not wanting to rest for fear that he'll miss something."

Lucille winked at Gabriella. "Sounds like a couple other guys we know and love."

"He has really developed a fun personality," Gabriella observed with a smile. "And I'm pretty sure he's the most adorable baby on earth."

"Well, only for five more months," Lucille interjected. "Once my grandbaby is born, he or she will automatically take over that title."

Taylor laughed. "Spoken like a true almost-grandma! But she's right—your baby will be absolutely beautiful."

Gabriella's eyes moistened with unexpected tears. "Thank you, Taylor."

Taylor offered a one-armed hug, careful not to upset the plate on Gabriella's lap. "Hey, I forgot to ask you this morning… Are you and Troy interested in going to the Santa Fe Theatre Festival tonight? I got free tickets from one of my clients, but we can't go. My niece is having her birthday party tonight in Rio Rancho. I've heard that it's a fantastic show, though. We went last year, one of our first dates after Eli was born, and it was phenomenal."

Gabriella hesitated, glancing at her mother-in-law. "It sounds like something we would both enjoy, but we're only in town for a couple days…"

"Actually, since we didn't know about the party or that you two were coming this weekend, Jack made dinner reservations at Marcello's to celebrate our anniversary tonight. He was going to cancel them so we could spend time with you and Troy…"

Gabriella's eyes widened. "Oh, no, please don't cancel your reservation because of us! You and Jack deserve a nice, romantic anniversary dinner."

"You and Troy are welcome to stay at our house again tonight," Taylor chimed in. "It'll be a really late night if you try to drive back to Albuquerque after the show. Besides, we'll probably stay at my sister's house tonight, so you two will have the place all to yourself." She winked at Gabriella, causing her to blush.

"That sounds like a plan," Lucille agreed. "We can meet for brunch in the morning and spend the whole day together."

Taylor clapped her hands excitedly. "Love is in the air! I can feel it! And I'll be sure to leave out a _book _for you in case you feel like doing some light reading." She winked at her friend again, and her complete lack of subtlety caused Gabriella's blush to deepen.

"To love!" Lucille hoisted her plastic cup and the younger women followed suit, clinking their water bottles together in solidarity.

_Tonight, _Gabriella told herself, _is going to be an unforgettable night._

...~«ώ»~...

That evening, Troy and Gabriella sat side by side in the theater. Despite the drama unfolding onstage, Gabriella kept glancing at Troy worriedly. He was having a great deal of trouble paying attention as he fidgeted, trying to find a comfortable position. He hadn't been feeling well when they'd left for Santa Fe, but he'd still insisted that he wanted to see the show. The lingering indigestion had become more pronounced, even though he'd barely eaten any dinner. He'd made a number of trips to the bathroom, trying to relieve the pressure, but had been completely unsuccessful. And the 'stitch' in his side had returned, making him wonder if he'd pulled a muscle during his early morning basketball game. Troy shifted yet again, sucking in a breath as a stab of pain lanced through his belly. He realized belatedly that the audience around him was clapping and moving around, and the house lights were coming on, signaling the end of the first act.

"Troy…" Gabriella's soft voice drew his attention, and he attempted a weak smile to ease her worry. "Don't tell me that you're fine, because it's obvious that you're in pain. Maybe we should leave now and go back to your parents' house."

He shifted to squeeze her shoulder. "If we go back to my parents' house, then we have to behave ourselves. I, for one, haven't given up on our romantic rendezvous tonight."

"You're in no shape for any kind of rendezvous, except maybe with a bed."

"Baby, that's _exactly_ what I had in mind."

She sighed in frustration. "That's not what I meant, and you know it. Why don't you just admit that you don't feel well and we can call it a night."

He pushed to his feet. "I'm going to go to the restroom again and see if that helps." He leaned down to kiss the frown from her lips, gritting his teeth against the pain that the movement caused. "Don't worry, honey. It's okay. I'll be back in a little while."

Gabriella nodded uncertainly and watched as he moved slowly towards the back of the theater. While she waited for his return, she busied herself with reading the program, turning on her phone to type a quick e-mail, and watching the theater patrons around her. When the lights in the auditorium flashed, signaling that the second act was about to start, Troy was still missing. Gabriella glanced towards the back of the theater, even as the actors took the stage, wondering if she should go looking for him. One of the actors onstage shouted, momentarily drawing Gabriella's attention toward the stage, until she felt an unfamiliar hand on her shoulder. Fear seized her when she looked up into the face of an usher.

"Gabriella Bolton?" the older man whispered. She nodded warily. "Please come with me, ma'am."

She picked up her purse and followed the man out of the darkened theater. As soon as they reached the lobby, she grabbed his arm. "What's going on? Did something happen with Troy?"

The usher didn't immediately answer, but stopped and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Mrs. Bolton, your husband apparently became very ill in the restroom during intermission. Another patron alerted me, and I went in to check on him. He appears to be in a lot of pain, and we've called an ambulance as a precaution. He asked me to come get you and let you know what's going on."

She struggled to fight back tears of dread. "Where is he? Please, I need to see him."

He nodded, and she followed him across the vast lobby. Troy was hunched on a bench near the restroom with a trash can in front of him, and when Gabriella caught sight of him, she ran to his side. Tears fell unchecked as she ran a hand through his sweaty hair. His skin was pale and damp, and his arm clutched his belly. He was obviously in a great deal of pain, and her heart ached for him.

"Troy!" She willed herself to be strong, even though she felt anything but.

"Gabriella, stay calm. I'm all right," he told her feebly. "Don't be afraid. Everything will be…" His words trailed off as he leaned forward to heave into the trash can. She rubbed his back as he'd done for her many times in the past few months. When he finished, he tipped his head back to rest against the wall behind him.

"Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?" she demanded.

"It got worse all of a sudden," he told her. His eyes squeezed closed as another wave of pain rippled through him, and Gabriella stroked his shoulders helplessly. When the EMTs strode through the front door a few minutes later, she reluctantly stood to give them more room to work. While they took Troy's vitals and asked him questions about his symptoms, one of the men turned his attention to Gabriella.

"Ma'am, I need you to answer a few questions for me. What is your husband's age?"

"He's 28," she answered distractedly. "He'll be 29 next month."

"Is he on any medications?"

"No."

"Does he have any history of kidney stones, hernias, or intestinal blockages?"

"No! He's very healthy! He's a _doctor!_"

"Does he have any food allergies? Has he had anything unusual to eat today?"

"He's barely eaten since breakfast," she answered. "We had pancakes, but I didn't get sick. Neither did our friends. Do you know what's wrong?"

"Not yet, ma'am," he told her. "What's your address?"

Gabriella's heart pounded in her throat. "We, um… we don't live here. We're from San Francisco. Troy's parents live in Albuquerque…" She swayed on her feet, and the paramedic's hand shot out to steady her. He led her back to the bench, a few feet from where Troy sat.

"Are you feeling ill, ma'am?" He lifted her hand to take her pulse, and she shook her head.

"She's pregnant," Troy grunted. She looked over at him, scarcely believing that despite his pain, he was concerned about _her _well-being.

"I'm fine," she insisted, pulling her hand from the man's grasp.

Troy moaned and reached for the trash can again, and Gabriella leaned over to smooth back his hair. This time she noticed that he was warm with fever. The EMTs looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

"Ma'am, I think it's best if we take your husband to the hospital. You're welcome to ride with him in the ambulance."

She nodded and realized she was shaking. Her mind raced, trying to provide an explanation for what was happening, but she came up empty. The men helped Troy stand and moved him to the stretcher, where they strapped him down and prepared to move him. Gabriella walked beside him with a hand on his arm, needing physical contact with him. The tears she'd been fighting overflowed, and she turned her head away so he wouldn't see her wipe them away. Troy looked up at her and managed a weak smile.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. I'll be okay."

She forced a smile for him. He _had _to be okay. She couldn't bear it any other way.


	37. Sidetracked in Santa Fe

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 37—Sidetracked in Santa Fe**

As the ambulance sped through the streets of Santa Fe, Troy grimaced as hot jolts of pain sliced up his side, but tried his best to downplay its severity. He turned his head again to look at Gabriella, who was seated beside him. One hand trailed absently through his hair, and the other arm clutched nervously around her middle. It was Gabriella's telltale posture when she was feeling fearful and uncertain—the only difference was that now their baby lay under that protective arm.

Troy groaned as another sharp pain ripped through him, and then reached for Gabriella's hand and squeezed it tightly. She met his gaze, revealing the glistening of held back tears.

"I'm okay, sweetheart," he forced out.

"It's my fault, Troy," she blurted. "I knew something was wrong. I should've made you get it checked out hours ago." A tear escaped and slid down her cheek.

"Gabriella, it's not your fault," he soothed, lacing his fingers with hers. "I should've recognized that it was something more serious than a stomachache. Stay calm for me, okay?"

She forced a tight smile and nodded, and he gave her hand another squeeze. Then he closed his eyes to block out the bright lights, hoping they'd get to the hospital soon.

…..~«ώ»~…..

When the ambulance pulled into the emergency area of the hospital, the paramedics quickly unloaded Troy and then turned to help Gabriella out of the ambulance. She hurried alongside the stretcher, trying her best to be brave, but feeling scared to death of how sick Troy looked. When they reached the triage area, the doctor stopped Gabriella.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you're going to have to wait in the waiting room," he told her. "There's some paperwork for you to fill out while we're assessing him. We'll come get you as soon as we can."

Troy looked up to see her standing tearfully in the corridor, and managed a wink at her before pulling at the arm of the nurse nearest him.

"Listen to me," he said hoarsely. "My wife is pregnant, and she has a history of panic attacks. Could you get someone to check her blood pressure and keep her calm? Please. I need you to make sure she's all right."

The woman nodded. "I'll take care of it, sir."

…..~«ώ»~…..

In the waiting area, Gabriella forced herself to concentrate on the questions she was being asked. The admissions clerk was typing her responses into the computer in front of her, and it seemed to be taking forever. Gabriella repeated the same information she'd provided for the EMTs, but her attention was focused on the double doors leading to the emergency room. She signed the forms that the woman slid across the desk, and stood anxiously when a nurse approached.

"How is he?" she asked.

"They've just taken him for a CT and ultrasound," the nurse told her. "I'll let you know when he gets back to the ER, and then you can wait with him until the doctor on call reads the test results and decides how he wants to proceed." Gabriella nodded. "In the meantime, he asked me to check your blood pressure."

A little laugh escaped from Gabriella's lips. Troy was in severe pain, but of course he was still worrying about her. Somehow that made her feel a little bit better. She nodded, lowering herself back onto the chair while the nurse knelt in front of her, fitting the blood pressure cuff around her arm.

"It's a little high, but still within the normal range," the nurse reported when she finished. "How far along is your pregnancy?"

"Fifteen weeks," Gabriella answered.

"Congratulations," the other woman smiled. "Is this your first?"

"Yes." Gabriella couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face.

"You must be thrilled."

"We are." Her face fell as she thought of Troy again, and the nurse's hand covered hers.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of him, and I'll let you know as soon as he gets back from CT."

"Thank you."

…..~«ώ»~…..

But it wasn't the nurse that came out more than an hour later. It was the doctor.

"Mrs. Bolton?" She nodded, and the doctor extended his hand to shake hers. "I'm Dr. Stark. I'm sorry to keep you waiting." He gestured towards the chair, and she sat. He settled in the seat beside her. "The results of the CT and ultrasound show pretty conclusively that your husband has acute appendicitis. Based on the sudden worsening of his symptoms, I'm concerned about a rupture. He's being prepped for emergency surgery." Gabriella's hands flew up to cover her mouth. "As soon as the on-call surgeon arrives, he'll be ready to roll. Do you have any questions?"

"Is he… will he be all right?"

"We'll know more once Dr. Guthrie gets in there. If the appendix ruptures, there's an increased risk of damage and infection. There are always risks with surgery, but serious complications from appendectomies are rare."

"Can I see him before he goes into surgery?"

He stood and offered his hand. "Of course. Follow me."

…..~«ώ»~…..

Gabriella paused outside the small room and took a fortifying breath. Then she slipped quietly into the room, and her worry compounded when she saw again how very sick Troy looked. His eyes were closed, his eyelashes fanned out across his tanned cheeks, and she moved forward to skim her fingers across his hair. He'd cut it shorter since he spent so much time outdoors at UCS, and she loved the sleek new look. As soon as her fingers brushed his skin, his eyes opened.

"Hey," she murmured. "How are you doing?"

"I've been better. Are _you _okay?"

"I'm fine. More than anything, I need you to be fine too."

"I will be, baby, I promise." He reached for her hand and raised it to his lips. "Did you call my parents?"

"I haven't been able to reach them. They both have their phones off. I tried Chad and Taylor too, but they're not answering either."

Troy frowned. "Dad said something about a surprise he had cooked up for after dinner, but I don't know what he was planning. I… I don't want you to be alone."

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "Troy Bolton, you have a habit of putting my needs ahead of yours, but in this case it's non-negotiable. The doctor is concerned about your appendix rupturing. You're going to have this surgery as soon as possible. End of discussion." She waggled her finger at him. "No more worrying."

Troy shrugged. "I can't help it. You're the most important person in the world to me." He glanced down at her belly. "You and our little one. Asking me not to worry is sort of like telling me not to breathe." He winked. "Or to quit playing basketball."

She giggled. "I wouldn't dare." He tried to shift positions and winced. She frowned. "Have they given you anything for the pain?"

"Just something to take the edge off," he answered, gesturing towards the IV connected to his arm. "They couldn't give me the heavy-duty stuff since I'm going under anesthesia." He glanced up at the wall clock. "I wonder what's taking the on-call surgeon so long."

Gabriella pulled a chair up close to the bed and sat, reclaiming his hand with both of hers. She rubbed it between her palms, tracing her thumb along the edge of his wedding ring. They sat in silence, and soon Troy's eyes drifted shut again. Her soothing strokes continued until a nurse bustled in.

"We're ready to take you to surgery," she announced. "You'll need to take off your jewelry and leave it with your wife."

Troy nodded and lifted his head to unfasten the chain around his neck. He dropped it into Gabriella's outstretched hand, and then reluctantly slid the ring off of his finger. She carefully threaded it onto his chain so that it hung beside the charm she'd given him in Hawaii, and then fastened it around her neck.

"You take good care of that," he told her. "I'm going to want it back in a couple of hours."

"I'll be happy to put it back on your finger," she murmured. "Just like I did four years ago."

The nurse circled the bed, raising the rails and releasing the brakes. Gabriella touched his face tenderly, as if trying to memorize his features. She leaned down to give him a lingering kiss.

"I love you so much," she told him. "Come back soon."

"I will, sweetheart, I promise. I love you."

The nurse cleared her throat. "Mrs. Bolton, there's a waiting area on the surgical floor. That's where your husband will be taken when he's out of recovery. It's on the third floor. Check in at the reception desk when you get there, and they'll keep you updated on your husband's condition."

"Thank you," Gabriella nodded. She leaned down to kiss Troy once more, forcing back sudden tears that burned the backs of her eyes. "I love you."

The bed started to roll, making her release his hand. He smiled and winked at her. "I'll see you soon."

She stood in the doorway and watched as Troy rolled down the hall and turned the corner. Only then did she allow the tears to fall. If they'd been in San Francisco, she would've at least known some of the hospital staff that Troy worked with. Here, she was all alone, and it made the situation that much harder to deal with. Raising her hand to wipe her tears, her fingertips brushed across the chain that hung between her breasts. She closed her hand around Troy's ring and the charm, whispering the words engraved on it: _Ku'u lei. _"My beloved." _Kununu._ "The strong one." Gabriella took a deep breath and resolutely wiped the tears from her face. She needed to be strong for Troy. Gathering her belongings and squaring her shoulders, she strode towards the reception area.

…..~«ώ»~…..

Two hours later, Troy slowly regained consciousness as he felt a feather-light touch on the side of his head. His lips twitched with a smile. Gabriella had always liked to run her fingers through his hair. In most circumstances it turned him on; in this case, it was comforting and familiar. His eyes slid open to see her tender smile.

"Hi," she murmured.

"Hi," he answered groggily.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"S-sore," he told her.

"Dr. Guthrie said the surgery went perfectly," she reported. "There was no rupture, so he was able to do the laparoscopic appendectomy. He said that would shorten your recovery time."

"Good," Troy nodded. "I need to get back to work."

She frowned sternly. "We'll talk about that later. In the meantime, you should get some rest."

"Did you reach my parents?"

"Yes, they finally heard my message and called. They're on the way." One corner of her mouth twitched into a half smile. "Your dad said to tell you that if you're faking just to ruin his mojo, he's cutting you out of his will."

Troy grinned back at her and shook his head. "I'm lying in a hospital bed and all Dad can think about is getting some action with Mom." His face twisted. "Ew, did I just say that?"

Gabriella giggled. "They've been married for 30 years. I'd imagine by then you have to work harder to keep it fresh."

"I'll let you know in 26 years if that's true." His eyelids were feeling awfully heavy. "Maybe I should just rest for a few minutes until they get here."

She leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "Please do. I'm not going anywhere. I'm so glad you're okay, Troy. I love you."

He didn't answer, not that she'd expected him to. He was already asleep.

…..~«ώ»~…..

The next time Troy woke up, there was a different hand on his head, one that brought back memories of childhood.

"Hi, Mom," he murmured before opening his eyes.

"Hey, Son. How are you feeling?"

"In a whole lot less pain than when I got here." He looked around the room and frowned. "Where's Gabriella?"

"Your dad took her to get a drink from the cafeteria," Lucille reported. "She was asleep in the chair when we got here."

"It's been a long day, and she didn't sleep very well last night after the flight. Mom, she's going to try to stay here overnight, but you have to help me convince her to go home with you and come back in the morning."

"No way," Gabriella said from the doorway. "I'm staying."

Jack followed her in and sat at the foot of the bed. Gabriella moved to stand by Troy's side.

"Sweetheart, please. You're exhausted."

She planted her hands on her hips. "Troy, if the situation was reversed, and I was the one who'd just had emergency surgery, would you leave me here alone?"

"No," he admitted. "But you're pregnant."

"So what? That just means I'm more concerned with making sure the father of my child is all right. I'm staying."

"Mom? Want to help me out here?" Troy pleaded.

Lucille sat back and smiled at her daughter-in-law. "It sounds like Gabriella is staying."

"Dad? Come on, back me up!"

"Already tried, Son." He shrugged. "Never argue with a lawyer."

"You're just saying that because I interrupted your date," Troy muttered.

Gabriella settled back into her chair beside him and took his hand. "How are you feeling? It's been about 45 minutes since they gave you pain meds."

He smiled towards her. "Pain's not bad. Just some pressure. That's normal after laparoscopic surgery. They put gas in the abdomen to make it easier to see the organs."

"My son, the doctor," Lucille chuckled, looking up when a young nurse entered the room carrying a new IV bag.

"Just wait until Mark Davis finds out that your son, the doctor, went all day without realizing he had appendicitis," Jack commented.

"Actually, doctors often have trouble diagnosing themselves," the nurse inserted. "They have a broader knowledge base to draw from, and that makes it easier to explain away symptoms."

"Thank you!" Troy grinned, pointing at her. "I like you! You're my favorite nurse so far, …" He squinted to see the name printed on her badge.

"Miranda," she offered, blushing. "How's your pain, Dr. Bolton?"

"Not bad right now," he answered.

"Dr. Guthrie will be in to check on you in the morning." Miranda looked at the others nervously. "Um… it's after visiting hours… You can come back at 9:00 in the morning."

"They just got here!" Gabriella argued, gesturing towards her in-laws. "They drove here from Albuquerque…"

"It's okay, Gabriella," Jack interrupted. "Chad told us to stay at their house tonight. You have their key, right?"

Gabriella fished around in her purse and pulled it out, handing it across to Lucille.

"Is your rental car still at the theater?" Lucille asked. Gabriella nodded. "Give me the key and we'll pick it up on our way to the hospital in the morning. Then we can bring you a change of clothes."

"Thank you!" Gabriella sighed, relieved, as Miranda slipped out of the room.

"I wish you'd go with them," Troy tried once more.

"I'm not leaving until I can take you with me," she told him.

Lucille leaned over to kiss her son while Jack stood and hugged Gabriella. "We'll see you in the morning."

"Thanks for coming," Troy told them, waving as they moved towards the door. When it closed behind them, he looked back at Gabriella and smiled.

"You're cute when you're stubborn."

She crossed her arms. "I'm glad you think so, because I intend to make sure you follow the doctor's recovery instructions to the letter. _Including _going back to work."

He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Ooh, my very own naughty nurse," he teased. "Will you wear white stockings for me?"

She grinned wickedly. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have nurse Miranda take care of you? She seemed eager to please."

"The only girl I want 'pleasing' me is you." He lowered his voice. "Don't think I've forgotten what we had planned for tonight. We have unfinished business to take care of when this is all over."

Gabriella shifted uncomfortably as her body heated from the inside out. "Troy…"

"Of course," he continued on, pretending he didn't notice her arousal, "you said you planned to be vigilant about my post-surgery activities, so that means no sex for a couple of weeks."

_"What?"_ She hadn't meant to protest so loudly, but she was certain she would burst into flames if she had to wait that long. _What's wrong with me, _she chided herself, _thinking about this now? _Then again, she reasoned, Troy had started it.

"You need to try to get some sleep." Troy's husky voice interrupted her thoughts. She glanced up at the clock. It was well after midnight.

"Do you need anything? Water? Bathroom? Meds?"

"I'm fine, babe. Really." His eyes began to droop again, and she touched his cheek.

"I'm glad you're okay," she murmured.

"Me too," he answered. He puckered his lips, inviting a kiss, and she leaned over to comply.

"Go to sleep," she told him softly. "I love you, Troy."

…..~«ώ»~…..

The next time Troy awoke, the pressure from the gas bubble in his belly had gotten worse. He knew the only way to relieve the pain was to move, so in the wee hours of the morning, he got up to walk the halls of the surgical recovery unit. Gabriella was right there beside him, with her arm around his waist, supporting him every step of the way. Despite the weary sag of her shoulders and the dark rims under her eyes, she pushed him, challenging him to keep going when he was ready to quit.

Sleep came more easily after that, although it was interrupted time and time again by nurses who came in to check his vitals, change his IV, and administer medications. Every time the door opened and the lights came on, Gabriella rose from the chair she was slumped in to help him to the bathroom, get him a drink, or simply kiss him before he went back to sleep. It was appropriate that she still wore his charm from Hawaii, Troy thought, because she was unquestionably the strong one that night.

By the time the hospital's dietician came in just before 7:00 to discuss Troy's breakfast options, the pressure in his belly was easing up. He placed his order—carefully avoiding the pancakes—and then shifted to see Gabriella watching him.

"Hi, gorgeous," he smiled at her.

She laughed softly and ran a hand over her hair, which had almost entirely escaped the updo she'd worn the day before. "I hope Dr. Guthrie comes in soon—I'm going to have him check your eyes!"

"My eyes are just fine, sweetheart," he insisted. "Trust me, I know a beautiful woman when I see one."

Her cheeks colored cutely and she moved to sit on the side of his bed. "How do you feel? Should we take a few more laps before breakfast?" She winked at him. "Or maybe I could call Chad to come over for a quick game of one-on-one."

"I bet I could _still _whoop his butt!" Troy grinned impishly. "You know what? Call him and see if he's free tonight. I should be out of here by then…"

Gabriella's eyes widened. "Troy, you can't be serious! The way you two play? There's no way I'm letting you…" She trailed off when he laughed, realizing he was teasing her. "I'll get you for that," she warned good-naturedly.

"I'm counting on it," he answered before sobering. "How are _you _doing?"

"I told you not to worry about me," she reminded him.

"And _I _told _you _that's not going to happen." He laid his hand on her leg. "When Mom and Dad get here, I want you to go back to Chad and Taylor's and sleep for a few hours. You look totally exhausted."

She covered his hand with hers. "I thought you said I looked beautiful," she teased.

"You _always _look beautiful to me," he persisted. "But you've been taking care of me all night. You need to take care of yourself. And the baby."

"The baby probably got more sleep last night than both of us combined." She lifted his hand and twined their fingers together. "I'm staying."

Troy sighed. "You're stubborn."

"So I've heard."

…..~«ώ»~…..

Breakfast arrived a short time later, and Gabriella was touched to find that Troy had ordered enough to share with her. She didn't eat much, still distrustful of her unpredictable stomach, but Troy was obviously feeling well enough to eat all of his breakfast and the remainder of hers.

By the time Jack and Lucille came in, Troy was propped up in bed watching an auto race on television with the volume turned off. Gabriella was still in her seat by his bed, but her head was down, resting on her crossed arms on the bed. Troy was gently massaging the back of her neck, and he gestured for his parents to be quiet as they entered.

"She just fell asleep a little while ago," he whispered in explanation.

"Poor thing," Lucille murmured sympathetically. She looked from her daughter-in-law to her son. "How are you feeling this morning? Your coloring is much better than it was last night."

"I'm tired and sore, but definitely on the mend," Troy reported. "The nurse said Dr. Guthrie will be here before noon to check on me and, hopefully, sign my discharge papers."

"So soon?" Lucille gasped. "You had surgery less than 12 hours ago!"

"Minimally invasive surgery," Troy pointed out. "And he said there was no sign of a rupture, so there's very little risk of infection."

"How much work are you going to have to miss?" Jack wondered.

"Dr. Guthrie said a week, but hopefully it'll be less than that. It'll depend on how long I need pain meds. I can't exactly make the drive to Sacramento with painkillers in my system." Troy glanced down at Gabriella and lowered his voice. "Coach Sterling's not going to be happy if I miss the game next Saturday."

"Surely he'll understand," Lucille argued. "It's just a game. Your health should come first."

"There's no such thing as 'just a game' in Division I football, Mom," Troy explained patiently. "Every game affects national rankings and bowl game selection. The trainers can cover practices, but according to National University Athletic League regulations, teams _must _have a licensed physician on the sidelines for every game."

"Talk to your supervisors," Jack suggested. "They'll help you work something out."

"Don't overdo it while you're recovering," Lucille warned. "Even if you're feeling better in a few days, you're not going to be back at 100% for several weeks. I learned that after my gall bladder surgery a few years ago."

"I'll be fine, Mom." He smiled down at Gabriella's sleeping form. "I'm sure my favorite nurse will take excellent care of me."

"Nurse Miranda?" Jack teased.

"Jack!" Lucille chided. She turned back to Troy. "Are you going to be allowed to fly so soon after surgery? You're welcome to stay as long as you need to. I wouldn't mind the chance to take care of my little boy again."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Mom, I'm 28 years old! I have two college degrees, a career, a home, a wife, and a baby on the way. I haven't been a 'little boy' in years!"

Lucille's eyes misted sentimentally. "You've grown into a fine man, Troy, but my mind's eye will always see the freckled, shaggy-haired boy we raised." She sniffed and then fixed a glare at him. "Don't you ever scare us like this again!"

Troy chuckled and then winced at the stab of pain his laughter caused. Lucille sucked in a worried breath, but Troy held up his hand. As expected, the pain dissipated within a matter of seconds, and he smiled to show her that he was all right.

"Mom, I will make sure, in the future, that I give you at least 48 hours' notice before suffering any type of medical condition that may require surgery." He winked at Jack, who chuckled. "Hey, at least I saved you from having to fly to San Francisco!"

Gabriella stirred then, and the trio fell silent. When she lifted her head, Troy smiled softly at her and stroked his thumb across her cheek. Lucille watched the unspoken communication that passed between her son and his wife and turned to see if Jack saw it too. He winked his confirmation towards her. It had always been that way between Troy and Gabriella, but Lucille never tired of witnessing it. Their love and affection for one another was palpable.

Gabriella's gaze shifted to her in-laws. "Jack, Lucille. How long have you been here? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

"It's okay, honey," Lucille assured her. "I can't imagine how you got _any _sleep in that chair last night!"

"It's good practice for when the baby's born," Gabriella said as she squeezed Troy's hand. "We'll be losing plenty of sleep then."

"Oh, I remember those days," Lucille commented, getting sentimental again. "Troy was a good baby, but I can't tell you how relieved I was when he started sleeping through the night." She paused thoughtfully, staring out the window as if it provided a glimpse of the past. "He had a couple bad bouts of colic. And Jack, remember that awful diaper rash…?"

Troy threw up his hands in exasperation. "Mom, stop! I'm begging you!"

"Son, relax," Lucille countered. "I'm providing useful information about your baby's heredity."

"Diaper rash is not hereditary!" he argued. Gabriella tried to stifle a giggle, and he glared at her. "Don't encourage her! Dad, help me out here!"

Jack looked at each of them thoughtfully before he answered. "It _was _a really bad diaper rash…"

Laughter burst from Gabriella's mouth, forcing away the worried expression she'd worn all night, and that alone made the ribbing worthwhile for Troy. Jack and Lucille joined in her laughter, and before long, Troy was chuckling as well. Mood lightened, fears relieved, the foursome enjoyed a long visit that stretched well into the afternoon.

Dr. Guthrie finally came in to check on Troy's recovery and authorized his release and flight back to San Francisco the following evening. Jack and Lucille drove the young couple back to Albuquerque and tucked them both into bed, relieved that they were finally home.

…..~«ώ»~…..

Before Troy opened his eyes on Monday morning, he paused to assess his condition. He was still stiff and sore from surgery, but, thanks to an uninterrupted night of sleep in his childhood bedroom, he felt stronger. Typically, his mornings would start with a workout—running, lifting weights, or playing basketball—but Dr. Guthrie had ordered him not to exercise for 10-14 days following surgery. Troy groaned softly when he remembered the _other _exercise he wasn't allowed during that time—sex. He opened his eyes and turned his head in search of Gabriella. She usually slept curled into his side, but this morning she was stretched out on the other side of the bed, so close to the edge that if she rolled in the wrong direction, she would end up on the floor. Realizing that she had fallen asleep that way to avoid hurting him, Troy smiled and moved closer to her. His hand settled on her belly, and he placed a lingering kiss on her bare shoulder. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she smiled up at him.

"Hi, handsome." Her voice was adorably drowsy.

"_Now _who needs her eyes checked?" he teased.

"How do you feel?"

"Better. I'll definitely be ready to go back to work in a few days."

Gabriella's face fell. "Troy, why are you so anxious to get back to work? We've spent so much time apart lately, I thought it would be nice to have you home this week. But it sounds like you're doing your best to avoid it."

He cupped her cheek in his palm. "Sweetheart, it's not that at all. This is just… it's an important week. I'm missing my first week of senior residency, not to mention the big game UCS has next weekend. I have responsibilities that I need to take care of."

"You have to take care of _yourself _first!" she argued, propping her head up on her hand. "You always tell me that, but you're not taking your own advice!"

"Hey, hey," he soothed. "I'll take it easy this week, I promise. I've got my beautiful nurse to keep me in check. Unless I can charm her into letting me bend the rules."

"Your nurse is immune to your charms," she answered boldly. They both knew it wasn't true, but she fixed a mock-glare on him nonetheless.

"Now you're in for it, baby," he grinned. "I'm going to take that as a personal challenge."

He scooted closer and, before she could argue, lowered his mouth onto hers. It took only a moment for her to relax into the kiss and loop her arms around his neck. Their bodies pressed together deliciously, and Troy coaxed her lips open to dip his tongue into her mouth. She sighed, giving herself over to the passion that was building rapidly inside her.

"Troy," she whimpered.

He pulled back to look at her, taking in her kiss-swollen lips. He realized guiltily that the redness marring her delicate skin was irritation caused by his beard growth.

"I'll be right back," he told her, pushing himself up and out of bed. He couldn't satisfy her the way he wanted to, but at least he could kiss her with a smooth face.

"Where are you going?"

He leaned over to peck her cheek. "Bathroom."

Once there, he pulled his razor and shaving cream from his toiletries bag and began to fill the sink with warm water. He sprayed shaving foam into his hand and raised it to his face, sucking in a breath when pain shot up his right side. He transferred the foam to his left hand and awkwardly applied it to his face. Then he lifted his right arm with the razor, only to feel another stab of pain. Groaning, he took the razor in his left hand and slid it across his cheek, cursing under his breath when he nicked his jaw. He dabbed a small piece of tissue on it to stop the bleeding and determinedly swiped another path beside the first one. Blood rose on his cheek when he nicked himself again, and his curse was interrupted by a soft knock on the bathroom door. The doorknob turned and Gabriella came in.

"Hey, I told you to stay in bed," he chided, trying to distract her from his struggles.

"I wanted to see who you were talking to in here," she teased as she looked from his foamy face to the mess on the sink. "Troy, are you okay?"

"Fine, sweetheart. Why don't you go on back to bed? I'll be right there, I promise."

"Not if you keep losing blood like that." She came closer and grabbed a tissue to blot his second nick. "Troy, do you need help?"

His eyes darted away, avoiding hers. "I can do it. It's just… it hurts to raise my right arm. It's normal after surgery," he rushed on to avoid worrying her. "I hate that I'm having trouble doing something that I've done every day for 12 years."

"Why don't you use your electric razor?"

"I didn't bring it."

"Well then, let me help you." He shook his head. "Troy." She waited for him to look at her, and then held out her hand determinedly. After a few seconds, he surrendered the razor with a sigh. She captured his hand. "You can trust me, babe. I'll take good care of my patient."

"It's not that," he confessed softly.

"What, then?"

He looked at her, and it took a moment for her to comprehend what she saw in his eyes. _Vulnerability._

"I don't like letting you see my weakness," he finally confessed softly.

"Oh, Troy." She slid her arms around his chest, high enough to avoid his healing incisions. He lifted his left arm to pull her closer. "We've known each other for a long time, and I know what a wonderful man you are. But you're not perfect, and I don't expect you to be. Marriage is give and take. You said that you like taking care of me because it makes you feel needed." She pulled back to look up into his eyes. "Please let me take care of you. I _want _to. You've done so much for me in the past few months. It feels good that I can return the favor. It feels good to feel needed."

"I always need you, baby," he murmured. "You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"That reminds me…" She lifted her hair to unfasten the chain that still hung around her neck. She'd kept it on throughout his hospital stay, and when Troy's parents had driven them home the night before, they'd both collapsed into bed.

"Keep it on for a little while longer," he urged. "It reminds me of the 'T' necklace you wore in high school." Truth be told, he'd also found it surprisingly arousing to see his wedding ring and charm dangling between his wife's breasts as she'd leaned over his bed in the hospital.

She smiled. "Okay, Wildcat. Now sit." She gestured towards the toilet, and he closed the lid and sat obediently. She came to stand between his legs and lifted the razor to his cheek.

He watched her face as she worked, biting her lower lip in concentration. She rinsed off the razor between strokes, just like he normally did, and smiled when she noticed him watching her. When she finished, she grabbed a hand towel and wiped the excess shaving foam from his face. She nodded with satisfaction, and let out a little squeal when he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her down to straddle his lap. He kissed her hard.

"How'd you get so good at that?" he asked against her mouth.

"Kissing?" she teased.

"Very funny. No, shaving men."

She grinned. "It's one of my 'naughty nurse' skills."

"Damn, baby." Troy buried his face in her neck, fighting temptation, and she seemed to understand. She pushed herself up and off of him before leaning down to kiss his cheek.

"Now that that's done, you need to get back to bed," she instructed.

"Are you going with me?"

"I suppose I could spare a few minutes for my favorite patient."

"That's what I like to hear." He stood and followed her back to the bedroom. Maybe this recuperation wouldn't be so bad after all.


	38. Sexual Healing

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 38—Sexual Healing**

_**A/N:** The song lyrics used in this chapter are the property of Marvin Gaye. No copyright infringement is intended.  
__Thanks again to Robin for helping me work out the kinks in this chapter.  
_**This chapter is rated M.**

* * *

Troy Bolton was bored. It was Tuesday afternoon, Gabriella was at school, and Troy was sitting at home alone. Bored. They'd arrived home from Albuquerque the night before, and their late flight, combined with Troy's pain medication, had enabled him to sleep through most of the morning. He'd had a conference call with Dr. Overman and Pete Massey to discuss his medical leave. After that, he'd tried to read, tried to watch a movie, tried to surf the internet. Nothing held his attention. Never one to sit still for long, he weighed his limited options. He wasn't allowed to drive as long as he was on pain meds. He couldn't shoot hoops because it hurt to raise his arm above his head. He couldn't exercise, except to walk around the neighborhood—which he'd already done twice.

It didn't sit well with him that he was at home doing nothing while his pregnant wife was working. She was exhausted from the stress of the weekend and their late arrival home the night before, but she'd risen that morning and gone to school while he'd stayed in bed. She'd been wonderful, taking care of him in the hospital and after his release, and he wanted to do something nice for her. But apart from cooking dinner, which he wouldn't need to start for several hours yet, he was coming up empty. Deciding to try napping to pass the time, Troy trudged into the bedroom and pulled off his t-shirt, flinging it towards a nearby chair. It landed on top of Gabriella's overnight bag, still packed from the weekend. Troy had already unpacked his, but she'd been in a hurry that morning and hadn't had time to unpack.

It was one small thing he could do for her, he realized. Unpack her bag and wash her clothes. He unzipped it and pulled out the clothes she'd worn over the weekend, tossing them into the nearby laundry hamper. Next he pulled out a spare outfit she'd packed and hung it back in her closet. He replaced her shoes in the closet and put her travel toiletries back in the drawer in the bathroom. When he reached the bottom of the bag, he cocked his head curiously. There was a pink plastic bag that he remembered seeing Taylor give to Gabriella when she and Chad had visited the hospital. He lifted it, and out slid a book with a pregnant woman on the cover. Above the picture, in bold scroll, was the title: _The Expectant Couples' Guide to Sizzling Sex During and After Pregnancy. _Intrigued, he dropped the empty overnight bag on the floor and sat, flipping the book open to page one. And just like that, Troy Bolton was bored no longer.

…..~«ώ»~…..

When Gabriella got home from school later that afternoon, Troy was sprawled on the sofa watching television. He'd read more than half of Taylor's book, but he'd had to put it away—and take a cold shower—before Gabriella got home. He'd learned a few creative ways to help ease Gabriella's frustration without violating his post-surgery restriction, and he'd formulated a plan to get out of the house and buy some supplies in the next day or two. Even if Troy had hoped to dive right into his plan of seduction that evening, he would've been thwarted by the lines of stress and fatigue etched on Gabriella's face when she came through the door.

Troy pushed himself up to get a better look at her. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Rough day," she confessed, sighing as she dropped her briefcase beside the desk in the living room. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," he insisted, standing to kiss her. He grasped her upper arms and studied her more closely. "Tell me about your day."

"Let me change first. My feet are killing me."

He nodded, and she disappeared into the bedroom. When she emerged a few minutes later, she was wearing shorts and one of Troy's t-shirts. She flopped down next to Troy on the sofa and nearly moaned when he pulled her feet into his lap to massage them.

"That feels wonderful," she sighed. "Did you talk to Pete?"

"Yeah. Matt and Jamie are going to cover practices all week, but we still need to find a doctor for the game on Saturday." He peeked up through his eyelashes. "I was thinking… that maybe… by then I would be feeling well enough to do it…"

She glared at him. "Troy, you know what Dr. Guthrie said. You're not supposed to work for a week—a _full week_—after your release from the hospital. You always make me follow doctors' orders to the letter, but now you think you can change the rules to suit your own purposes!"

He put up his hands in surrender. "Sweetheart, I'm not trying to change the rules. I'm trying to honor my commitment to the UCS Athletic Department."

Her eyes narrowed. "They can't force you to go against your surgeon's orders. It's against the law! The Family Medical Leave Act clearly states…"

"I know what the law says, and I know they won't _make _me do anything," he interrupted. "And I'm not talking about going back to work full-force. But I can be at the game, and provide medical assistance if needed, without violating my restrictions. Mark can drive me to Sacramento on Saturday morning, I'll work the game, and then we'll come back Saturday night. If it'll make you feel better, I'll get checked out by one of our surgeons before I go."

Gabriella considered his proposition for a few moments. "The surgeon who checks you out has to be someone other than Mark. Or Dr. Overman." Her lips twisted thoughtfully. "Dr. Gould. She has to be the one who clears you. And _I'll _drive you so I can keep an eye on you and make sure you're not overdoing it." He grinned, and she put up a finger to halt him. "_Only _if Dr. Gould says it's okay. Otherwise, you'll have to find someone else to cover the game."

"Okay, that's fair. Thanks, babe." He leaned forward to kiss her, and winked as he pulled away. "Just think, if Dr. Gould clears me early, we might not have to wait two weeks for _other _restricted activities." She shivered, and his grin widened. There was unmistakable heat in her gaze for a moment before she reined it back in. He resumed his gentle kneading of her feet. "Now, tell me about your day."

"Well, for starters, one of my Intro students had a hissy fit about his grade on a paper. I returned the papers at the end of class, and next thing I know, this guy is storming into my office in a rage, demanding that I change his grade."

Troy's hands stopped, and he sat up straighter. "Whoa! He has no right to do that!"

"Well, he did it anyway," she continued. "I tried to explain why he got that grade, but he wouldn't listen. He accused me of discriminating against him! Isn't that ridiculous? I had to ask him to leave four or five times before he finally listened."

Troy's anger was building. "Did he touch you? Threaten you?"

"He didn't touch me, and the only threat he made was to have his parents contact the dean of the college. Apparently his folks are rich, and have made some sizeable donations to the school."

"That doesn't give him the right to push you around! You should've called me! I would've come down there and kicked his butt back to wherever he came from!"

Gabriella shook her head. "That would've made the situation worse, not better. Besides, Nick came in and finally got the kid to leave."

Troy's possessiveness surged. He knew he should be grateful that Nick had stepped in to help, but a part of him _hated _that another man had been there for Gabriella while Troy had been sitting at home. "You need to report him. Set up a meeting with the dean. You can't let students get away with that kind of behavior."

Her hands wrung together in her lap, revealing that the situation had bothered her more than she would admit. "I talked to his faculty advisor this afternoon. And Dr. Heller already called me to set up a meeting for tomorrow." Her voice trembled slightly. "Troy, I'm already worried enough about keeping my job with the evaluations at the end of the semester and my maternity leave next spring. I don't need this kind of attention focused on me." Suddenly, she looked up, stricken. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't be telling you this. You're supposed to be worrying about healing, not all this silly stuff with my job."

He lowered her feet to the floor so he could gather her in his arms. "It's not 'silly stuff,' honey. Listening is one of the few things I'm _not _restricted on this week, and I'm always here for you. You know that." He smoothed his hand through her hair. "Do you want me to go with you tomorrow for your meeting?"

She gave him a grateful smile. "That's sweet, but no. This is something I need to take care of on my own." She turned her head towards the kitchen. "Something smells really good."

Troy grinned. "I made dinner. It'll be ready in…" He paused to check his watch. "…about 15 minutes."

"Perfect." Gabriella lifted her feet back into Troy's lap and wiggled her toes. He chuckled and resumed his massage.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella jolted awake, disoriented in the darkness of the bedroom. Her mind struggled to reconcile the vividness of the dream she'd just had—and her body's reaction to it—with the reality that Troy was snoring softly beside her. In her dream, he'd been in her office at school, bending her over her desk as he pounded into her from behind. She'd just reached the point of orgasm in her dream when she'd awakened to find her panties wet and her core trembling.

"Gabriella?"

She jumped at the sound of Troy's husky voice. Concerned, he propped his head on his hand to look at her.

"Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?"

She shook her head, still reeling from the sensations she was experiencing. Had she really just had an orgasm as a result of a _dream_? Nothing like that had ever happened to her before.

"Baby, are you sure you're all right? You're trembling."

Gabriella turned her head to look at him, realizing that she hadn't even noticed his hand on her arm. More than anything, she wanted to sling her leg over his hips and have her way with him, but he wasn't allowed to have sex. It was, she thought, one of the most unfair situations she'd ever experienced. Troy shifted next to her, reminding her that she still hadn't answered his question.

"I'm okay, Troy. Go back to sleep."

"Not until you tell me what's going on."

She sighed. "I had a dream, that's all. It wasn't a nightmare, it was a… um… it was… about… you and me."

He frowned in the darkness. "What about us? Did something happen?"

A small smile played at the corners of her mouth. Yes, something had definitely _happened_ with them in her dream!

"Troy, promise you won't laugh."

"I promise," he vowed.

"It was… um… we were… in my office… and, um… nobody else was around… and so, um…"

Realization dawned on Troy, and despite his promise, he chuckled. "You had a sex dream!"

"You promised not to laugh!" She turned her head away in embarrassment, but he palmed her cheek and turned her around to face him.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, sweetie. Surely it's not the first one you've ever had."

"It's not," she confirmed. "But it's the first that I've… um… _reacted…_ so strongly."

Troy's mind flashed to a section of Taylor's book that talked about nocturnal orgasms, and he sighed. "I really wish we could do exactly what you're dreaming about, but we can't."

She rolled onto her side to face him, touching his face. "It's okay, Troy. I understand. But I'm putting you on notice that as soon as your restriction is lifted, we're going to spend some serious time in this bed."

"Deal!" he replied enthusiastically. She giggled and snuggled into his chest. He held her as he felt her muscles relax back into sleep, his mind formulating a plan. He may have to wait two weeks, but there was no reason that Gabriella should have to.

...~«ώ»~...

Wednesday afternoon, Gabriella sat in her office, reading through lab reports. She was having a terrible time concentrating as she imagined what she and Troy had done here in her dream. Her phone buzzed beside her hand, and she smiled when she saw that it was Troy calling.

"Hi," she greeted. "I was just thinking about you. How are you feeling?"

"Lonely," Troy answered. "What are you doing?"

"I'm in my office, grading lab reports. What have you been up to today?"

"Nothing much. How did the meeting with the dean go?"

"Better than I expected. This is apparently not the first encounter she's had with this kid's parents. She said she'd take care of it."

"Good. Did you tell her about the baby?"

She hesitated. "No, not yet."

"Honey, you're not going to be able to hide it much longer." He paused and then strategically changed the subject. "Your classes are done for the day, right?"

"Yes, but I want to make a dent in these reports before I come home. I shouldn't be more than an hour or so."

"No problem. You know, I've been doing a lot of thinking about your dream last night…"

Her cheeks flamed. "Troy, you promised…" There was a knock on her office door. "Someone's at my door. I have to go. I'll see you soon."

"Sooner than you think…" Troy replied cryptically as she ended the call.

Gabriella stood from her desk and went to open the door. When she pulled it open, her knees nearly buckled.

"Surprise," Troy grinned from the doorway.

She was too stunned to move. "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be driving!"

"I took the bus. Aren't you going to invite me in?"

She shook her head to gather her wits and stepped aside to allow him entrance. She pushed the door shut behind him, and to her surprise, he turned to flip the lock.

"Troy, what are you…?"

Her question was effectively cut off when Troy snatched her up into his arms and covered her mouth with his. It took only a moment for her body to melt against his, and he spun her and backed her up against the door. His tongue parted her lips and dove deeper, and she whimpered into his mouth. Smiling wickedly, he laced his fingers with hers and pinned them to the door while his lips moved around to suck the tender spot behind her ear.

"Troy… We c-can't…" she stuttered, barely able to form words. "Your restriction…"

He pulled back to look at her. "_I'm _on restriction, but you're not. You're a beautiful, sexy pregnant woman who has needs, and I'm just the guy to take care of them for you."

"That's not fair," she protested. "You wouldn't let me… _take care of you_… after my surgery!"

"Your surgery was more invasive than mine, and you had a more difficult recovery," he reasoned. "Now stop thinking."

He pressed her against the door again and punctuated his order with another searing kiss. When his lips moved towards her ear again, he whispered a question.

"Tell me, baby. Is this how it was in your dream? Did I push you up against the door and make love to you here?"

"N-no," she answered hoarsely. "It was…" she gestured with her head, "…by my desk."

As soon as the words left her lips, Troy spun her, pressing her backside against the desk. He glanced at the wide window that looked out over the campus, and she understood his concern.

"It's mirrored glass," she told him. "We can see out, but no one can see in. This whole side of the building is like that."

"Excellent," he smiled. "Now, where were we?"

Her cheeks flushed as she reached for him, and a moment later, their lips were fused and their bodies were pressed together deliciously. Troy's hand slipped down her leg to the hem of her skirt and dipped under it to stroke her thigh. She broke the kiss, breathing hard.

"You're not getting modest on me, are you?" he prodded before leaning closer. "Are your panties wet, baby?"

She smiled mischievously. "Who says I'm wearing panties?"

"I watched you get dressed this morning," he confessed huskily.

She huffed and swatted his chest. "I thought you were asleep!"

"Nope. I saw the black lace panties you put on, the way you wriggled your sweet little ass." She gasped, aroused by his crass language, and his voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. "You knew I was watching you. You wore those dirty little panties for me, didn't you?"

"Maybe," she agreed breathlessly. "Or maybe I just like to wear lacy panties because of the way they rub me when I move."

She turned in his arms and pretended to busy herself looking for something on her desk. She pressed her backside into his groin and circled her hips seductively, seeing how far she could push him. In a flash, his arms enveloped her again and he bent her forward so her hands rested on her desk. His body trapped hers, and his hot breath found her ear.

"You've been a naughty professor, playing games with me, tempting me," he whispered as his fingers lifted the hem of her skirt. "I'm going to take your panties home with me so everyone knows that you're mine."

"Troy, please," she breathed. His palm cupped her through her panties, and he felt the moisture of her arousal. He nipped the shell of her ear, and her head sunk to the side. His hand slipped under the lace of her panties and touched her where she wanted him most. Her thighs clenched together as if to hold him in place.

"Tell me what you want," he ordered in her ear. She didn't answer right away, and he slowed his rhythmic strokes. She moaned in frustration, trying to wiggle against his hand, but he held her still. "Say it. Tell me how to make you feel good."

"T-touch me," she squeaked.

"Like this?" he teased, caressing wide circles around her clit.

"More," she begged. "I need m-more…"

His fingers circled closer and closer to her clit, and she moaned when his ring finger dipped inside her. Her barely-functioning brain rejoiced that she'd put his wedding ring back on his finger the night before as she felt the cool glide of the metal against her hot folds. He added his middle finger and dove deeper, stroking her inside and outside at the same time. It was exquisite.

"I wish I could be inside you right now," he growled into her neck. "You're so hot and wet, I could slide all the way in and fill you up with one hard thrust."

"Troy," she whimpered. She lifted her hands from the desk to reach behind her, but to her horror, his movement stopped.

"Put your hands back on the desk," Troy ordered. "You have to do as I say, do you understand?"

She nodded mutely and obeyed his directive.

"Do you want to come?" he asked unnecessarily.

"Y-yes. Please."

"You have to be very quiet. You don't want your students or your colleagues to know what a bad girl you are, do you?"

Gabriella shook her head frantically.

"Look out the window. See all those students down there? Imagine what they would think if they could see you right now, standing here with my hand in your panties. Would they stop and watch to see the way your eyes get big when you come?" He pressed his erection against her backside. "I know how you look when you come. It's so damn sexy that everyone should see it, not just me."

"Troy!" Her voice was so filled with frustration that he thought she might cry.

"Promise me you'll be quiet when you come," he insisted as he quickened the pace of his strokes.

She nodded, unable to speak. His right hand lifted from her hip to pluck at her breasts, and his lips latched onto the spot behind her ear. His fingers thrust inside her, and his thumb pressed her clit, and she went off like a rocket. Her body stiffened, her breath came in short, shallow pants, and her orgasm vibrated around his fingers. True to her word, though, she kept quiet, uttering only an occasional whimper as her body trembled. Her head lolled back onto his shoulder, and he continued to stroke her until her tense muscles relaxed and she became like putty in his arms. Only then did he loosen his grasp and turn her to face him. He grinned when he saw the look of satisfaction on her face.

"Wow," she sighed dreamily.

Troy leaned in to rest his forehead against hers and just stared into her heavy-lidded eyes as her breathing calmed. His lips curved into a lopsided grin.

"This may have started out as _your_ fantasy, but I can tell you that I'll be replaying it over and over in my mind. That was _so _hot, baby."

She glanced down at the painful strain of his erection against his zipper, and then looked back up regretfully. "I wish I could help you."

"I'll be okay," he promised. "As long as you don't mind if I stay in here for a little while until things, uh, get back to normal."

She giggled. "How about if I read a few more reports while we're waiting, and then I'll take you home."

He winked mischievously. "Are you propositioning me, Professor Bolton?"

"Maybe I am." She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, Troy."

...~«ώ»~...

On Thursday afternoon, Troy slipped quietly into a seat at the back of the lecture hall at Hastings and nodded a silent greeting to neighboring students when they looked up from their note-taking. The student who had created a scene after class on Tuesday was back in class today, and despite Gabriella's assurances that she wasn't concerned, Troy wanted to make sure that the situation was under control. He'd also paid a visit to a nearby specialty shop to purchase a few items he'd read about in Taylor's book. A smile tugged at his lips as he wondered what Gabriella's reaction would be. According to Taylor's book, many expectant couples took advantage of the woman's heightened libido, particularly during the second trimester, to experiment and expand their sexual repertoire. Troy tended to be more sexually adventurous than she was, but he hoped that she would be able to let her guard down and be willing to try new things.

Troy settled back into the chair and forced his mind away from the erotic thoughts that threatened to cause a physical reaction. That was more easily said than done with the subject of his fantasies standing at the front of the lecture hall talking about ethical principles relating to medical malpractice. But Gabriella was a very intelligent and compelling speaker, and Troy soon became as engrossed in her lecture as the young students around him. She barely glanced at the notes in front of her as she spoke, but when she pointed the remote control towards her laptop to advance the image on the screen behind her, she frowned. She clicked the remote several more times, but the picture did not change. Troy was about to jog down the steps to help her when a young man leapt up from the front row, touched her arm reassuringly, and moved in to tap the computer keys. Within moments the presentation advanced, and Gabriella moved on in her lecture. Troy's attention, though, remained focused on the man who still hovered over the keyboard.

He was around 24, Troy guessed, with dark, wavy hair and dark eyes. His build was similar to Troy's, though his complexion was darker. He was dressed more formally than the other students, and Troy realized that this must be Nick, Gabriella's graduate assistant. Apparently satisfied that the technical glitch was fixed, Nick squeezed past Gabriella as she spoke, laying a hand on her back to let her know that he was behind her. Troy's eyes narrowed. Gabriella didn't miss a beat, stepping to the side to allow him more room to pass as she continued with her lecture. She seemed completely unaffected by the physical contact, but it bothered Troy nonetheless.

When the lecture was over, Gabriella explained the next assignment and then dismissed the class. Troy waited in the back as the room emptied, watching as Gabriella spoke to a couple of students. Several girls hovered around Nick, but his attention shifted as Troy descended the stairs towards the front of the room. The girls followed Nick's gaze, and, seeming to sense the tension, said their goodbyes and headed for the door. Troy reached the bottom of the steps and started towards Gabriella, but Nick took a protective step towards Gabriella, blocking Troy's path.

"Can I help you, sir?" he asked warily.

The question caused Gabriella to look up, and her face instantly brightened. "Troy! What a nice surprise!"

Nick immediately backed down when he realized who he'd confronted, and he raised his hands in surrender and stepped aside. Troy brushed past him and went to Gabriella.

"Hey, baby," he greeted. Her smile faded when he framed her face with both hands and kissed her hard. After a few moments, she broke the kiss and pushed against his chest. He stepped back and saw a flash of anger in her eyes before she schooled her expression and turned to Nick.

"Nick, this is my husband, Troy," she introduced. "Troy, this is Nick Castilla, my graduate assistant."

Nick stepped forward and offered his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Dr. Bolton. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds. I didn't know who you were, and after what happened on Tuesday…"

Troy raised a hand to stop him. "It's fine," he answered, his voice edged with irritation. "I appreciate your concern for my wife's safety, but I can assure you that she is perfectly safe in my care." He slid a possessive arm around Gabriella's shoulders to emphasize his point.

"Thank you for your help with the computer, Nick," Gabriella told him. "Maybe I'm developing a technology curse like one of my old professors at Stanford. The minute he walked into the lecture hall, his computer shut down. Every time!"

"Dr. Crosby!" Nick exclaimed.

Gabriella laughed. "Oh my goodness, he's still there?"

"He is," Nick affirmed. "And he's still a menace to all forms of technology!"

They shared a laugh, but Troy's tight expression told Nick it was time to go.

"Well, I've got a lot of studying to do, so I'd better get going." He quickly gathered his materials and started for the door, turning back to wave at his mentor as he left.

"Don't forget about our department meeting in the morning," Gabriella reminded him.

"I'll be there," he called.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind the young man, Gabriella stepped away from Troy and crossed her arms.

"What on earth was that all about?" she demanded. "You were so rude to him! And what were you thinking, kissing me like that in front of my students? What's gotten into you?"

"I wasn't aware that Nick had appointed himself as your personal guardian," Troy returned. "Is he always like that around you?"

Her eyes narrowed as she realized what he was implying. "Nick is my _student, _Troy! A graduate student, but a student nonetheless. Please tell me you're not jealous that I'm working with him."

"I saw him touch you! Twice!"

She glared back at him. "Like I saw Jamie touch you at UCS? What about all those things you told me about trust? There's nothing going on, Troy!"

"Maybe not for you," he shot back. "But I'm not so sure about him."

"So you had to march up here and mark your territory, huh?"

"I bet he'll leave you alone now," Troy argued.

"If he comes back at all," she retorted.

"Fine with me if he doesn't," Troy muttered.

"_Not _fine with me!" She jammed her finger into his chest. "You saw how big my class was, and my other Intro class is even bigger. I need help, and Nick is a smart, hard-working assistant. He takes care of a lot of paperwork for me, and the students are comfortable enough to seek help from him, sometimes even before they approach me. That's a _huge _help to me!"

Troy sighed and approached her with his palms up in surrender. "I'm sorry, sweetie, you're right. I just… I don't like seeing another man touching you like that. I want you all to myself."

"You _have _me," she insisted.

"I know. I overreacted, and I'm sorry." Testing the waters, he skimmed his hand down her arm and took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. Despite her ire, he saw her pupils dilate with desire. That was definitely a good sign. "Let me make it up to you." He took another step closer, until his abdomen touched the soft swell of her belly.

"Troy," she started to argue, irritated with herself that even now, she wanted him.

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Trust me, baby. Yesterday in your office? That was just a prelude to what I have planned for you."

She shivered and stepped away to gather her notes. Troy's face fell, thinking she was rejecting his offer. But when she shoved her papers into her briefcase and turned to face him, he saw the crimson stain on her cheeks.

"Troy," she said breathily. "Let's go."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella squirmed her way through dinner, anxious to find out what Troy had in store for her. He seemed to be taking forever to eat his meal, though, and as she waited impatiently for him to finish, her day began to catch up with her. Troy looked up and smiled when she tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.

"Sweetie, why don't you go lie down while I clean up," he suggested.

"You promised me a good time, mister," she reminded him. "You're not trying to back out of it, are you?"

"No way. But you'll enjoy it a lot more after you've had some time to rest. I'll come wake you up in a little while."

"I'm counting on it." She pushed back her chair back and stood. She started to take her plate to the kitchen, but Troy shooed her away. Turning towards the bedroom, she purposely swung her hips as she walked away and grinned when she heard his breath hitch.

In the bedroom, she opened her lingerie drawer to consider her options. She ruled out the pieces that no longer fit because of the pregnancy, as well as those that would not be comfortable to sleep in. Inspiration struck, and she pulled out a blue satin camisole top and slid it over her head. It didn't quite cover her belly, but she decided that would add to the appeal. Then she pulled open one of Troy's drawers and dug around to find a pair of blue boxers. She raised them triumphantly in the air, and then bent to pull them on. Even with her expanded waistline, they were loose, but they would work. Pulling back the covers, she lowered herself onto the bed. She planned to stay awake to wait for Troy, but her eyelids grew heavy, and soon she was fast asleep.

...~«ώ»~...

_Troy hovered over her, his hands skimming along her bare skin. She shifted and realized that her wrists were bound together and tied to the railing of the headboard. She pulled at the binding, but the knots were strong…_

Gabriella's eyes flew open, her body trembling from the intensity of her dream. She turned to see Troy next to her, gently stroking her belly. He smiled and she reached for him… only she didn't get far, because she couldn't seem to move her hands. They were above her head, and she craned her neck to see what was impeding them. She was shocked to realize that she had _not _been dreaming… her hands really were bound to the headboard with a red silk sash.

"It's not too tight, is it?" Troy asked from beside her.

She tested the binding and then shook her head. "Wh-what's going on?"

"This is part of that surprise I mentioned earlier." He propped his head on his hand and looked at her seriously. "But honey, if this is uncomfortable for you, if it's too much, I want you to tell me and I'll take it off immediately. This game will only go as far as you want it to. I want to make sure you know that."

She nodded slowly, understanding and appreciating his concern. Even now, nearly two years after her violent attack, Troy was always careful to make sure she felt safe and comfortable during their sexual encounters.

"I trust you, Troy."

"In that case, let the games begin."

He smiled wickedly and shifted to hover over her, and only then did she notice that he was wearing nothing but his boxers.

"Wait, but you're not supposed to…" Her protest was silenced as his mouth sealed over hers and their tongues tangled. She wanted to reach for him, to pull his body down onto hers, but had to settle for the warm thrum of her skin as he supported himself on his elbows and knees above her. She lifted her hips, searching for contact, and released a groan of frustration.

"Patience, lover," he teased against her mouth. For a few brief, glorious seconds, he lowered his hips onto hers and grinded his erection against her tingling core. She gasped and raised her hips to align him where she most wanted him to be, but he shifted back onto his knees, breaking the connection.

"Troy," she whimpered in response.

His lips shifted to her ear. "I love the way you say my name in bed, baby, but you're going to have to wait a little while. We're going to take things nice and slow."

"What if I don't want slow?" she challenged.

He chuckled, glancing up at the binding around her wrists. "I don't think you have much of a choice."

Then, to her absolute horror, he moved off of her completely and sat up on the side of the bed to pull open the bedside table.

"What are you doing?"

"You ask too many questions," he countered, leaning over to kiss her again. "Just relax."

He opened the bottle he'd retrieved and tipped a dollop of liquid into his hand. The heady scent of black cherries and vanilla reached Gabriella's nostrils.

"That smells good. What is it? Massage oil?"

Troy grinned naughtily and held up the bottle. "Close. _Edible _massage oil."

Gabriella closed her eyes to breath in the rich fragrance, and when she opened them, Troy was on his knees beside her. He rubbed his palms together and then slid them up her arm from her shoulder to her wrist. The oil warmed on her skin, feeling heavenly. Then Troy leaned closer and nipped the inside of her wrist. She shivered and felt him smile against her skin.

"Do you like that, baby?"

She could only nod as his lips and tongue began their assault, working their way down her arm to her shoulder. He paused to kiss her lips, letting her taste the erotic blend of cherry, vanilla, and masculine arousal. He shifted again, pouring more oil into his hands and massaging her other arm before kissing and licking his way back down. When he made it down to her other shoulder, he reached for the bottle again and poured a small pool of oil in the hollow of her throat. This time he used his tongue to spread it up the column of her neck, nipping at her jaw and paying proper homage to the tender spot behind her ear.

"Delicious," he announced.

Ready to combust, Gabriella wriggled her body, trying to satisfy the building ache and tugging at the sash around her wrists. Troy shifted again, settling next to her waist and slowly lifting her cami to expose her breasts. He filled his hands with oil and cupped her breasts, kneading them and plucking at her nipples. She arched into his touch, and he straddled her before bending down to close his mouth over one of her breasts. His hand kneaded one while his teeth and tongue laved the other, and then, just when she didn't think she could take it anymore, he switched sides and resumed his sweet torture.

"I love how your breasts have filled out with your pregnancy," he murmured against her skin. "So beautiful."

Troy shifted again, scooting farther down her body, and retrieved more oil. His fingers splayed wide as he pushed down the waistband of her—his—boxers and gently massaged her belly. When he lowered his mouth to kiss her there, he made eye contact with her, and she smiled.

"It's amazing to see your body change, stretching and growing to make room for our baby."

He took his time kissing and licking her rounded abdomen, and she noticed and loved the extra gentleness he used there. Then, maddeningly, he skipped over her core and shifted all the way down to her feet.

"Troy!" she cried in frustration.

He simply looked up and smiled before rubbing oil on first one foot and then the other. Her whole body seemed to relax, releasing the tension of her work day. That is, until Troy sucked one of her toes into his mouth. She nearly rocketed off the bed, barely able to hold still as he licked oil from each of her feet in turn. Next he took care of her shins and calves, first one, then the other, and after that, her thighs. By then she was trembling with need, and when he shifted to lie beside her, he slid his finger under the waistband of her boxers.

"You look so damn sexy in my boxers, I really don't want to take them off. But there's no way for me to do what I want to do with them in the way."

Finally, at long last, he slid the boxers down her legs and then slithered back up, pushing her legs apart with his shoulders as he kissed the inside of her thighs. She writhed and jerked, and he looked up sternly.

"Are you going to hold still, or am I going to have to tie up your legs too?"

Gabriella's eyes widened, not sure whether he meant the threat or not. His arms circled her thighs to hold her in place, and his mouth settled over her cleft. His lips tasted and teased her, and she bent her knees to dig her heels into the bed, barely able to stand the pressure that was building inside her.

"Troy…" she panted. "I… I need more…"

Her breathing became shallow, her legs began to shake, and then… Troy stopped. Not just stopped, but sat up on his knees.

"NO!" she shrieked, feeling tears of frustration burn her eyes.

Troy studied her uncertainly. "Gabriella, do you trust me?"

If her hands hadn't been tied up, she would have punched him. "Yes, Troy. _Please!_"

He reached over to the nightstand again and held up… no way! She gasped in shock.

"A _dildo_? What on earth would make you think I would want you to use that… that…"

Troy smiled self-consciously. "I thought you said you trusted me."

"But Troy, I don't… what about…?"

"It's completely safe for the baby, and as much as I wish _I _could be inside you, this will have to do for now."

She bit her bottom lip, unsure, staring at the penis-shaped device in his hand. He took her hesitation to mean tentative consent.

"Just… let me try it… if you don't like it, I'll stop. I promise."

Finally, she nodded slowly, and, wanting to make sure she was ready, he lowered himself between her legs again. He licked and sucked her until he felt her relax again, and then shifted his mouth to tease her clit as he slid the head of the toy along her slick folds. Her head was tipped back, revealing her pleasure, and he slowly slid the penis inside her. Midway, he had to stop and close his eyes, fighting for control. His own penis was so painfully hard that he was sure there wasn't enough cold water in San Francisco to help him. Finally, he opened his eyes and watched, mesmerized, as her body took in the penis inch by inch. Once it was all the way in, he shifted his gaze to Gabriella's face.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered breathlessly. "Oh, my… it feels so… it's good!"

Troy fought down a pang of jealousy, wishing with every cell in his body that _he _was the one being gripped inside Gabriella's body. _He'd _started this, after all, so he had no right to complain. With a flick of his thumb, Troy upped the stakes. Her whole body jerked as the head of the penis started rotating inside her.

"Troy!"

"That's right, baby," he growled, stretching out beside her. "Think about me. Imagine my cock inside you, so big and hard that you feel yourself stretching, making room for me to go in deeper."

Her whole body was trembling now, the power of her impending orgasm building like a tidal wave. Her head thrashed back and forth of the pillow, and her arms jerked, trying to escape their captivity.

"Come for me, Gabriella," he commanded.

The wave crested, and she plunged into the sweet abyss. Her body jerked and shook and cried out with release. Troy held her, thrilled to see her pleasure, but tortured by his own unfulfilled desires. His penis throbbed painfully, and as soon as Gabriella started to relax, he pulled out the dildo, released her hands, and collapsed onto his back. He slung his arm over his eyes to block out the sight of his beautiful, nearly-naked, post-orgasmic wife. He barely noticed when she shifted beside him, but her feather-light touch on his bare stomach sounded alarm bells in his head.

"Sweetheart, you're going to have to give me some time," he groaned.

Her whispered words shimmered directly into his ear. "Honey, I'm going to give you a whole lot more than that."

He forced his eyes open, biting back an angry retort. "Gabriella, please. I'm glad you liked… it… but please, just leave me alone."

Her fingers traced maddening patterns around his navel, and she kissed his cheek. "Troy, I _did _like it, more than I expected." He closed his eyes again, trying to block out both her words and her touch. "But it's no substitute for _you." _

She shifted, and he felt her hair glide across his chest. She lowered the waistband of his boxers and carefully wrapped her fist around his penis. The admonition on his tongue died as all remaining blood left his brain and moved south. She leaned over him, silently weighing her options. She knew she couldn't suck, pull, or stretch him in any way, but judging by the pulsing hardness of his erection, he was so close to the edge that it wouldn't take much to tip him over. An idea struck her, and she reached for the red sash that had restrained her hands and carefully wrapped it around his shaft. Then she pulled it slowly, smiling when Troy sucked in a breath through his teeth. His penis bobbed as the sash pulled free, straining towards her. She wrapped it again and slowly pulled, this time making sure the fabric rasped across the head of his penis. With her other hand, she gently cupped his sac, and with a shout, he exploded. She cradled his shaft in her hands, watching the hot spurts pool on his belly.

Finally, when his body was drained, she used the sash to wipe him clean and then lay down beside him. He gathered her in his arms, grinning like a fool.

"That was incredible," he sighed, feeling like he'd melted into the mattress.

"Yeah, it was," she agreed.

They lay in silence for a few minutes, letting their racing hearts and ragged breaths slow. Troy chuckled.

Gabriella's drowsy eyes slid open to look at him. "What?"

"You make a damn good naughty nurse!"

She giggled. "Well, I'd have to say, Dr. Bolton, that your bedside manner is… _inspiring."_

"How does that song go?" he wondered aloud. After a moment, he sang a line… _"Sexual healing, oh baby, makes me feel so fine!"_

She leaned in to kiss him. "Me too, Troy. Me too."


	39. Lost and Found

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 39—Lost and Found**

"So what's the verdict, Doc? Am I going to live?"

Dr. Gould pulled off her gloves and folded her arms. "Your prognosis is good, but you still have some healing to do. You need to stay on light duty until the bruising and tenderness goes away."

Troy made a face and pulled his shirt back on. "What about the game tomorrow? I'm sure I won't be nearly as sore by then."

"Is work all you ever think about?"

"No," Troy answered sourly. "But I can't do the other things I want to, either!"

"Such as?"

"Um… well, exercising, and… working…"

Dr. Gould rolled her eyes. "Cut the bull, Bolton. I know you haven't been working, and you just told me that you hadn't exercised all week, so why are you so sore today?"

Troy's gaze darted away as he scratched the back of his neck. "Well, see… Gabriella's friend gave her this book about pregnancy… and, um… there was this part about, uh… ways to… you know, _help _your partner…"

She shook her head. "You know better, Troy. You're not supposed to have sex for 10 to 14 days after surgery!"

"We didn't, um, exactly…" Troy stammered. The room suddenly felt twenty degrees warmer.

"You didn't exactly _what_? Sex is sex. Either you did or you didn't."

Troy squirmed in his seat. "Do we really have to have this conversation?"

"Do you really want to get cleared for the game tomorrow?"

His eyes widened. "What does that have to do with my 'activities' with my wife?"

Dr. Gould leaned forward sternly. "You're unusually sore, and you're not volunteering any information about _why_you're sore. I can't make a determination without all the facts."

"This is blackmail," Troy muttered.

"What was that, Dr. Bolton?"

His shoulders slumped in defeat. "Nothing, ma'am."

"Okay, since you don't seem to be willing to volunteer information, I'll break it down for you. Have you had sexual intercourse since your surgery?"

"No."

"Have you participated in other sexual activities since your surgery?"

"Um... I, uh… yeah."

Her eyebrows rose. "Giving or receiving?"

"Giving."

"Last night?" Troy nodded. "And I'm guessing there was some bending involved, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"See, now was that so difficult?" His eyes were still downcast, so he missed the smile that quirked his boss's face. "Well, Troy, if Gabriella is willing to drive you to UCS tomorrow, then I'll clear you to go." He looked up gratefully, and she held up a finger to halt him. "You are still on light duty, which means _no _lifting or bending of _any _kind. Are we _clear _about that?"

"Yeah."

Her tone softened. "It's only been six days since your surgery. I know you're ready to dive back in with both feet, but you have to give yourself time to heal. Come back and see me on Tuesday and we'll reevaluate and go from there, okay?"

Troy blew out a breath. "Okay. Thanks, Dr. G."

Dr. Gould looked at him curiously. "How's Gabriella doing? With the pregnancy, I mean."

"Everything's good," Troy smiled. "She has her four-month check-up on Monday."

"I'm glad," she replied. "I know you like taking care of her, but at least for the next four days, let her take care of you. She's strong, she can handle it."

"I know." Troy's grin broadened as he stood. "I'll tell her you said hello. Thanks again. See you Tuesday."

…..~«ώ»~…..

On his way out of the hospital, Troy sent Mark a text to find out where he was, and a few minutes later, he found his friend in the cafeteria, inhaling a late lunch.

"Bolton!" Mark greeted as Troy approached, setting down his fork to shake Troy's hand. "It's good to see you in the land of the living again!"

"It's good to be here," Troy replied with a smile. "What have I missed this week? Anything exciting?"

"Just about anything's more exciting than spending your first week of senior residency on your back," Mark ribbed. "Unless there's a woman on top of you, that is." Troy ran an anxious hand through his hair, and Mark guffawed. "Okay, since that's not allowed so soon after surgery, I'll go back to my original statement. What have you done to keep yourself entertained? I'd be going out of my mind!"

"Well, uh… I've been doing some reading…" Troy scratched the back of his neck, praying that Mark wouldn't ask him what book he'd been reading. "And I've gone to Hastings a couple times to see Gabriella…"

Mark paused, his expression turning serious. "How did she handle everything, man? The surgery, I mean. Because when she called us from that hospital last weekend while you were in surgery and mentioned that she was there by herself, Kelly was ready to hop on a plane and go take care of her. We both were."

"She was remarkably calm," Troy answered softly. "We were in a strange city, and she couldn't reach my parents or Chad and Taylor. I'm really proud of her for holding it together the way she did."

"She's a keeper," Mark grinned.

"Absolutely," Troy agreed.

Mark's lips twisted into a smirk. "Know what I think? I think you saved your appendicitis for your trip so I couldn't do emergency surgery on you. I could've had all kinds of fun with you—maybe carved my initials in your chest like Zorro."

Troy chuckled. "Dude, if I ever see you going into the OR with a sword, I'm running the other way!"

Mark laughed with him. "Fair enough." He pushed back his chair and stood. "Well, _some _of us have work to do."

Troy made a show of relaxing back in the chair and propping his feet up. "Yep, and some of us will just sit here and relax. Off you go, Dr. Davis!"

...~«ώ»~...

Saturday morning, Gabriella pulled the car into a parking space in front of Troy's campus apartment and turned off the engine. They'd arrived in Sacramento early enough to allow Troy to check out a few injured players, but first he had to change into his game-day "uniform"—red polo shirt, khaki shorts, and a red UCS cap. He unlocked the apartment door and held it open to let Gabriella pass through first, giving him the opportunity to appreciate her lean legs and cute backside. She wore red shorts with white piping, layered red and white tank tops covered by a light white jacket, gold hoop earrings, and white sandals. Her hair was pulled back into a thick braid, and apart from her rounded belly, Troy was sure she could easily pass for one of the thousands of college students that would pack the stands later that day. Unable to resist, he reached out and pinched her as she passed, and she squealed.

"What was that for?" she demanded playfully.

"You look so cute today, I couldn't help myself."

"I hope you have more control around all those cute college girls," she teased.

"I'm not interested in girls, beautiful," he charmed. "Just one woman. _My _woman."

She swatted at him playfully. "Interested in getting _fresh _with your woman, you mean!"

Troy waggled his eyebrows. "That comes later. First, we have a game to attend." He glanced at his watch. "Give me five minutes to change, and then I'll be ready."

"Why don't we walk to the stadium?" she suggested. "It's less than a mile, and then we wouldn't have to deal with all the crazy traffic after the game."

He shrugged. "Sounds good to me, as long as you're up to it."

"I'm fine, as long as _you're _up to it."

"If I can't handle a short walk like that, I've got bigger problems than a few health restrictions," he chuckled.

Gabriella did some quick tidying while Troy changed, and within five minutes, he was ready to go. Pulling the apartment door closed behind them, he took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. She reached across to grasp his forearm with her other hand, and they set off towards the athletic complex. They walked in companionable silence for a few minutes, and then Gabriella drew a deep breath.

"So… have you thought about what you'll do if Pete offers you a permanent position here?"

He looked at her curiously. "Where did that come from?"

Gabriella shrugged. "Last time I was here, Pete was doing his best to sell me on the benefits of Sacramento. He even said he could look into a position for me at Lincoln Law School."

Troy's brows furrowed. "How do you feel about that?"

"I want to hear how _you _feel about it first," she sidestepped. "You have two more months in this rotation, but you still have to finish your senior residency. How would that work?"

"If I accepted a position here, I'd have to finish my residency at UC Davis."

"But they don't have a sports medicine certification program," she argued. "You'd be Board-certified in orthopedics, but not sports medicine. Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose of moving here?"

Troy pulled her to a stop and looked at her. "You've thought about this a lot, haven't you? You're getting a little ahead of yourself. They're bringing in candidates to interview for the job next week. There's no guarantee that I'll even get an offer." He squeezed her hand. "But it's good to know that you've looked into the possibility."

She shrugged. "I'm a lawyer. That's what I do. Gather the facts and build my case."

He tilted his head. "You still haven't told me how you feel about moving to Sacramento. You get a vote in this too, you know."

"You first," she insisted. They started walking again, and Troy mulled over his answer.

"I don't know how I feel about taking a permanent job working for Coach Sterling," he finally commented.

"I'm with you on that," she replied, her voice full of contempt. "The guy's a total dirtbag."

Troy chuckled, and Gabriella frowned at him.

"Are you laughing at me?" she snapped.

"No, it's just… I don't think I've ever heard you say something like that about a guy you've never met."

"Oh, I've met him," she said softly.

He halted in his tracks. "Wait, what? You met Coach Sterling? When?"

She peered up at him through her eyelashes. "In July, when we came here with your parents. Remember? You and Jack went out with Pete to see the football stadium and I stayed with Lucille in your office."

His eyes narrowed. "Why am I just now hearing about this?"

She shrugged and started walking again to ease the tension. "It's really not a big deal, Troy." She chewed on her bottom lip, wondering if she should tell him about her second encounter with the coach. The decision was made for her when a car on the street beside them slowed and the driver rolled down the window.

"Troy! Good to see you, man!" Matt called.

"Hey! Have you been holding down the fort for me?" Troy asked as he approached the car.

"Of course," Matt replied before waving to Gabriella. "Has he been driving you crazy at home all week?"

"Never," she grinned.

"Good answer, babe," Troy told her with a wink.

"Would you like a ride the rest of the way?" Matt offered.

"Nah," Troy answered, gesturing towards the building that loomed in front of them. "It's a nice day for a walk."

"Actually…" Gabriella inserted, glancing sheepishly between Troy and Matt. "Could we? I didn't use the bathroom before we left." She laid her hand over her belly and looked back at Troy, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "My bladder is nearly at capacity."

Troy chuckled. "Matt, we'd love a ride."

They climbed in, and less than five minutes later, Gabriella darted into the restroom at the athletic complex. When she emerged, she glanced down the corridor, looking for Troy. She heard a female voice shriek his name from an adjoining hallway, and spotted him just as a petite woman threw her arms around him. Gabriella's eyes narrowed. _Jamie._

Unbidden, the coach's words flashed through Gabriella's mind. _It seems that Dr. Bolton and his little blonde trainer have been enjoying one another's company quite a bit lately. She's got quite a reputation around here. __A man can only face temptation for so long before he gives in to it._

Gabriella surged forward resolutely, reaching Troy as Jamie released him. The younger woman smiled brightly when she saw Gabriella.

"Gabriella! It's good to see you again!" she greeted. "I was just telling Troy how good it is to see him back on his feet. You must've taken great care of him."

"We take care of each other," Gabriella corrected. "That's how our marriage works."

She moved to Troy's side, possessively sliding her arm around his waist and laying her left hand on his chest, making sure Jamie could see the rings on her finger. Troy's arm settled around her shoulders, and he smiled down at her.

"Well, Troy, things haven't been the same around here without you." Jamie told him.

"Don't get too attached," Gabriella warned. "He'll only be here a couple more months." Troy tipped his head but said nothing.

"I think he's got a good shot at a permanent position," Jamie answered enthusiastically, looking back at Troy. "Fingers crossed!"

"I haven't been offered anything yet," Troy reminded both of them.

"True," Gabriella added, looking up at Troy meaningfully as she laid a hand on her stomach. "Besides, we have a lot of things to consider before making such an important decision."

Jamie seemed to take her cue from Gabriella's tone and stepped back, raising her hands in surrender.

"Well, I'd better get to work."

Troy nodded. "I'll meet you guys in the training room in a few minutes."

"We'll be waiting," Jamie replied as she turned away.

"I'm sure you will be," Gabriella muttered in her wake.

Jamie didn't react to the parting words, but Troy pulled away to look at his wife. "That was kind of rude, don't you think?"

She crossed her arms and glared at him. "Well, I wasn't expecting to come out of the bathroom to find her draped all over you!"

He chuckled, and her eyes narrowed. "That's a little bit of an exaggeration. She wasn't 'draped all over me,' she was just glad to see me." He sobered as realization dawned. "Come on, Gabriella, we've already had this conversation. There's no reason for you to be jealous of Jamie."

Her eyes flashed angrily. "But it's okay that you were jealous of Nick the other day?"

"I don't have time for this right now," he finally said as he started to walk. "You can wait in my office while I prep the players."

Troy's angry strides were long, and Gabriella had to hurry to keep up. "Troy, slow down. You're supposed to be taking it easy." He slowed slightly without turning around, and she sighed. It was going to be a long afternoon.

...~«ώ»~...

Nearly two hours later, the UCS football team emerged from the tunnel onto the field, followed by the coaches and staff. Gabriella could tell the exact moment that Troy spotted her in the front row of the home stands, and braced herself as he marched towards her.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded. "I asked Pete to take you up to the press box."

"He offered, but I declined," she replied calmly. "I wanted to see the action up close."

"The action on the field, or what goes on between me and the trainers?" he asked sarcastically.

Gabriella put up her hands, indicating that she wasn't trying to pick a fight. "Troy, I just want to make sure you don't overdo it today. That's all." A referee blew his whistle, and Troy looked over his shoulder.

"I have to go," he muttered.

"Good luck," she answered.

He turned and trudged back to the sideline, and Gabriella released the pasted-on smile she'd been wearing. She _did _want him to take it easy… and she also wanted to keep an eye on Jamie. Coach Sterling had visited Troy's office while he'd been in the training room, and his exchange with Gabriella had been brief but disconcerting.

"_You still don't believe me about Jamie, do you?" he'd asked, and she'd shaken her head. "Fine. Watch them during the game today. You can see for yourself."_

With that, he'd turned on his heel and left, and Gabriella had left the office before Troy returned, making her way to the stadium to claim a seat behind the home team's bench.

After the usual pre-game activities, the game got underway, and the Bulldogs scored an early touchdown. The fans cheered, the band played, and even Gabriella got into the excitement around her. The opposing team pushed down the field towards their end zone, but they fumbled the ball, giving possession back to UCS. The first half passed quickly, with UCS scoring again and the other team kicking two field goals.

As halftime neared, Gabriella had nearly forgotten about the coach's warning when she saw Jamie move to Troy's side and slide a hand up his arm. She said something to him, and he leaned close to hear her over the noise of the crowd. Troy shook his head in answer, but Jamie squeezed his upper arm. They continued to converse, and finally Troy went to sit on the end of the bench. Jamie sat beside him, close enough for their arms to brush. Gabriella watched the exchange with narrowed eyes, trying to formulate some kind of explanation for it and coming up empty.

Her attention was drawn to the field as she heard the crunch of football pads and the collective gasp of the crowd. Players untangled and stood, leaving one unmoving player on the turf. Troy was off the bench in an instant with Jamie and Matt right behind. He bent over the injured player and spoke to him, and soon the young man began to move his limbs, testing them out. Gabriella wished that she was with Pete so she could hear Troy's calm voice on the radio, assuring them that the player was all right. After a minute or two, he sat up, and the crowd cheered. Matt and Jamie flanked him and helped him to his feet. He stumbled towards the sideline and dropped onto the bench, where they continued to tend to him. On the field, there was one more play, and then the buzzer sounded for halftime.

...~«ώ»~...

Back on the field for the second half, Troy glanced over to where Gabriella sat. Her hands wrung together nervously in her lap, and Troy knew it wasn't because of the football game. He'd had to tend to several players during halftime, so he hadn't had the chance to check on her like he'd wanted to. He wished he could've gone and smoothed things over with her, but for the time being, the tension between them remained.

"Hey, boss," Matt called from the water table. "I took some water to Gabriella since I knew you'd be tied up through halftime."

"Thanks, man," Troy answered.

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Troy reported. "It's weird… Coach Sterling has barely said a word to me today, but before halftime he insisted that Jamie check to sure I was all right."

Matt leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Could it be that the mighty coach has grown a heart?"

"Doubt it," Troy replied. "I'm sure he has an angle somehow."

The game continued, and during the next time out, Matt distributed water while Jamie hurried to re-tape an offensive lineman's ankle. Troy weaved among the players, checking for abrasions, signs of head injuries, fatigue, and heat exhaustion. He tried to steer clear of Coach Sterling, but as he veered to the side, the coach stepped into his path.

"Might want to check on your trainer, Bolton," he said, nodding towards Jamie. "One of my assistants said he thought the heat might be getting to her."

Troy's eyebrows dipped, but he nodded and moved towards Jamie as the players ran back onto the field. He sidestepped the young man that Jamie had just finished taping and took her arm as she stood from her crouch, steering her onto the bench.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked anxiously, noting her flushed cheeks.

"Fine, why?"

Troy laid a palm first on her forehead, and then her cheek, trying to determine if she was overheated.

"What are you doing?" she asked, attempting to stand. His hand on her shoulder pressed her back down on the bench, and his arm settled behind her.

"You feel warm. Have you been drinking fluids?"

"Yeah… well, not since halftime, but before that I did," she answered. "Troy, I'm fine…"

"Stay put," Troy instructed, getting up and going to the water table to retrieve a drink for her. When he returned, she rolled her eyes, but obediently emptied the cup while he watched.

"Satisfied?" she asked irritably. "Look, I appreciate your concern, but I need to get back to work."

"Okay, but if you start feeling light-headed or nauseous…"

"You'll be the first to know," she interrupted, pushing to her feet and stomping away.

Troy watched her go, puzzled by her attitude. _Gabriella loved his attention…_ He turned towards the stands again. Gabriella was looking at him, her eyes wide. _Must be the afternoon sun_, he thought, because he could swear he saw tears glinting in her eyes.

...~«ώ»~...

When the game ended, Troy and Matt were in the training room tending to a player who'd dislocated his shoulder. Gabriella waited until Coach Sterling left the field, and then made her way down to the shade of the tunnel that connected the field to the athletic complex. There she waited with her fists planted on her hips, ready to confront Jamie when she came in from the field. She didn't have to wait long. Jamie rounded the corner struggling under the weight of two medical equipment bags.

"Hey, Gabriella," she said wearily. "Did you enjoy the game?"

Gabriella stepped forward, ignoring the younger woman's question. "What are you doing?"

Jamie frowned. "Carrying equipment that the guys left out on the field. They are _so _going to hear about this!"

"I mean, what are you doing with my husband?" Gabriella demanded.

"What are you talking about? We're just friends…"

Gabriella laughed bitterly. "Please. I had a front row seat for all the touching and flirting today. Don't insult me by pretending it was all innocent."

Jamie's eyes narrowed, and she dropped the bags off of her shoulders. "It _was _innocent, and I don't like what you're accusing me of. Troy came over to check on me because he thought I was getting overheated. That's it."

"I find it strange that he felt the need to check on you, but he barely glanced in my direction the entire game! _Matt _brought me water, not Troy."

"It _was _strange," Jamie conceded. "We usually worry about the players overheating, not the staff. Troy's never been that way with me before, and frankly, it pissed me off. I don't like being singled out like that."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, it must be tough being the only girl on the staff, having all those men to yourself!"

Jamie stepped forward, jabbing her finger in the air. "It _is _tough! I have to prove myself every single day! You have no idea what I go through…" She trailed off, as if she was afraid to say too much, and sighed. "Look, Gabriella, I am not going after your husband. I'm sorry if you don't believe me, but it's the truth." With that, she turned, hefted the bags back onto her shoulders, and made her way to the athletic complex.

Gabriella didn't know what to think. She'd witnessed Troy's and Jamie's interactions herself, and it was hard to believe that they were completely innocuous. She needed to walk and think, to sort through the mess in her head. Troy would be tied up for awhile tending to players, and she didn't want to seek him out to ask for the keys to his office or apartment. So she dug around in her purse to locate a pen and a piece of paper and scrawled a quick note telling Troy where she was going. She didn't know the UCS campus very well, but she remembered seeing a man-made pond in the center of campus, surrounded by a number of large shade trees. Surely she could find some solace there.

Squaring her shoulders resolutely, Gabriella marched into the athletic complex, found Troy's locked office, and pulled a push pin from the bulletin board on his door. She folded her note in half, wrote his name on the outside, and speared it against the door. With a nod of satisfaction, she turned on her heel and walked away.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy was frustrated. The training room was crowded with players who needed attention, and Jamie still hadn't come in from the field. He hadn't had a chance to smooth things over with Gabriella since their earlier tiff, and he wanted to make sure she was all right. He was sore and tired and ready to go home. And even with Matt doing the majority of the work, they couldn't get Parker's damn shoulder back in place. Adjusting his hold, Troy braced his foot against the leg of the table and looked over at Matt.

"One more time," he said through gritted teeth.

"Troy, come on," Matt urged. "We've been at this for twenty minutes. It's a miracle you haven't blown your stitches yet."

"Once more," Troy repeated.

Shaking his head, Matt moved back into place and bent his knees. "Ready."

"Okay, here we go. One… two… three!"

Parker howled with pain, and Troy groaned beside him, clutching his right side. Matt leaned in to check the shoulder and grinned.

"We got it!"

"Good," Troy grunted, dropping into a nearby chair.

"Are you okay?" Matt asked anxiously.

Troy's response was cut off when Jamie stormed into the training room, brushing past the men and stomping straight to the office. Troy and Matt followed, and as soon as the door shut behind them, Jamie unleashed her wrath.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys, leaving me alone to bring in all the gear myself?" she fumed. "I don't ever do that to you!"

"Sorry, Jamie, but we were trying to set a dislocation…" Troy began. Jamie whirled on him.

"And what I _don't _need is your wife accusing me of flirting with you!"

Troy was dumbfounded. "She did _what?_"

"You heard me! I think she's gone into full-blown pregnancy-hormone insanity or something. She was _really _upset…"

"Where is she?" Troy interrupted anxiously.

"How the hell should I know? Last time I saw her was in the tunnel," Jamie countered. Troy lunged towards the door. "Hey, I'm not done yelling at you!"

By the time she finished the sentence, Troy was already on his way out the door.

Matt shook his head. "Sorry, Jamie, but I think you _are _done."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy jogged down the hall towards the tunnel, trying his best to ignore the pain in his side. What had he been thinking, trying to set that kid's shoulder? When he reached the tunnel, Gabriella wasn't there. He followed the tunnel out to the football field, hoping she was waiting for him in the stands, but the only the cleaning crew remained, walking the bleachers to pick up popcorn boxes and water bottles.

Cursing under his breath, Troy retreated back into the athletic complex and headed for his office. She'd stayed there before the game; maybe she'd returned to wait for him there. Even as he thought of that option, though, he dismissed it, realizing that the door was locked and she didn't have a key. Still, he continued in that direction. When he rounded the corner, there was someone standing outside his door. It wasn't Gabriella, though… it was Coach Sterling. Seeing Troy coming, he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned on his heel.

"Uh, Bolton, I was, um… wondering how Parker's doing," Sterling stammered.

"Matt and I got his shoulder back in place, but he's going to have to take it easy for awhile," Troy reported distractedly. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the key to his office, and Coach Sterling stepped out of his way.

"Glad to hear that the kid's all right," Sterling pressed as he followed Troy in and leaned casually against a file cabinet. Troy checked his desk phone, but there were no messages. "Maybe we should go over the revised disabled list before you head back to San Francisco tonight."

"Coach, with all due respect, now is not a good time," Troy said as patiently as he could manage. "I'm trying to track down my wife."

"Oh? When did you see her last?"

"Before the game was over, when Matt and I came in with Parker," Troy told him. "She talked to Jamie a little while ago, but I'm not sure where she went from there."

"She probably just went back to your apartment," Sterling offered.

Troy nodded. "That's my next guess. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Sterling finally straightened and sauntered out, leaving Troy alone. He pulled out his cell phone—no messages there either. He dialed Gabriella's number, and growled when it went straight to voice mail.

"Any luck?" Matt asked from the doorway.

"No. I'm guessing she's on her way back to the apartment. Could you give me a lift?"

"Sure thing, boss," Matt replied. "Anything to escape Jamie's wrath. I feel sorry for the guys she's handling right now."

Troy nodded tightly and followed Matt out into the hall, pulling his door shut and turning to make sure it was locked. Then he and Matt hustled to the parking lot. Most of the post-game traffic was gone, so it took only a few minutes to drive from the stadium to Troy's apartment. She was nowhere to be seen along the route, and when they got to the apartment, Troy noticed that Gabriella's car was still where she had parked it before the game. His chest tightened as he realized that Gabriella also didn't have a key to the apartment. Nonetheless, he unlocked the door and quickly scanned the room before returning to the car. He dialed her phone again, and again it went straight to voice mail.

"Damn it," Troy bit out, trying to control his voice long enough to leave a message asking where she was.

"She's not answering her phone? That's odd," Matt observed.

"Her battery's not holding a charge," Troy said tightly. "She told me about it yesterday, and we didn't have a chance to go to the cell store this morning."

Matt's lips twisted thoughtfully. "Okay, so where should be we go next? Back to the athletic complex? We can get the guys to help look for her."

Troy nodded, his mind racing. He didn't know where Gabriella was. He had no way of contacting her. Bad memories came rushing back, and he fought down the bile that clogged his throat. _She's fine, _he told himself. _We're going to find her._

...~«ώ»~...

"Okay, guys, listen up," Matt instructed. "Dr. Bolton is going to give you a description of his wife, and then I want you to fan out and cover this building, the stadium, and the surrounding grounds. Program my number into your phone if you don't already have it."

Matt recited his phone number, and the guys pulled out their phones and typed it in. Troy cleared his throat and held up the photo from his office.

"My wife Gabriella is five feet, two inches tall, petite in build, brown eyes, black hair in a braid, wearing red shorts and a white top." His voice caught. "And she's four months pregnant."

Nodding their understanding, the players split up, disappearing into the maze of corridors. Matt turned back to Troy, laying a hand on his boss's shoulder.

"She's fine, Troy. Don't worry. You two just got your signals crossed, that's all." He waited for Troy's nod of acceptance before going on. "The guys have this area covered. Let's get back in the car and drive the route to the apartment again."

"Okay," Troy agreed. Panic was rising inside him, fear of losing Gabriella. The same fear he'd experienced two years earlier as he'd desperately searched the UC Hastings campus for her. This time, though, there was the added fear for his child's safety.

He pushed open his office door to replace the photo on the shelf behind his desk, and then closed it and followed Matt to the parking lot.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella swiped at the tears that wouldn't stop falling, frustrated because she was no closer to sorting through her confusion than when she'd walked to the center of campus. It had been over an hour since she'd left the athletic complex, and she was surprised that Troy hadn't come to meet her yet. Was he angry at her? Or was he trying to find a way to tell her that her suspicions were correct? She very much wanted to believe that nothing was going on between Troy and Jamie, but her rational mind argued that if they behaved the way she'd witnessed when they knew she was watching, how did they interact when Gabriella was in San Francisco?

She looked up when a young man approached her hesitantly.

"Um, excuse me, ma'am," he began. "I'm sorry to bother you, but, um… are you… Mrs. Bolton?"

"Yes," she answered. "And you are…?"

"Scott Ashton, ma'am. Wow, Dr. Bolton is going to be so relieved to know that you're safe. He sent all of us out looking for you. I was just on my way back to the dorm to try to round up some more help."

Gabriella pushed to her feet and frowned. "Why is he looking for me? I left him a note telling him where I was going. And he could've just called me…" She opened her purse and pulled out her phone, only to realize that it was dead. "Stupid battery. Scott, could I use your phone for a minute?"

"Sure." He handed it over, and she quickly dialed Troy's number.

"Hello?" he answered after only one ring.

"Troy, it's me," she responded.

"Thank God," he sighed gratefully. "Are you okay? Where are you? What happened?"

"I'm fine. Didn't you get the note I left? I'm at the pond in the middle of the quad."

Like a switch, Troy's relief turned to anger. "Why did you walk halfway across campus like that? Do you have any idea how worried I was about you? Were you _trying _to make me crazy when I couldn't find you?"

Gabriella's eyes narrowed. "I left you a note! And no, I didn't leave to upset you. I needed time and space to clear my head."

"About what?" he demanded. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"How angry I am with you right now," she answered.

Troy's groan of frustration resonated through the line. "Stay there. I'll be there in five minutes."

He slapped his phone shut without waiting for an answer, and Gabriella mutely handed the phone back to the owner.

"Should I wait with you until Dr. Bolton gets here?" he offered.

"Thank you, but no." She didn't want any more spectators around when Troy arrived. If that phone call had been any indication, their reunion wouldn't be pretty.

...~«ώ»~...

In the car, Matt looked quizzically at Troy as he hung up the phone. "Is she okay?" Troy nodded and scrubbed his face with his hands. "Then why are you upset with her? Aren't you relieved?" Troy glared at him, and Matt raised his hands in surrender.

It only took a few minutes to drive to the parking lot closest to the center of campus. Troy jumped out as soon as the car stopped.

"I'll wait for you in the car," Matt called as the door slammed shut. He did _not _want to be in the middle of whatever was going on between them.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy walked briskly towards the pond, and Gabriella stood when she saw him coming. For a moment, he honestly wasn't sure whether he wanted to hug her or shake her. Ultimately, he did neither, but rather stopped in front of her and folded his arms across his chest.

"You've got some explaining to do," he began.

"Funny, I was going to tell you the same thing," she replied.

"I was worried sick! I shut down the training room and had the guys out looking for you. We were about to contact the campus police! Geez, Gabriella, don't ever run off like that again without telling me where you're going! You nearly scared me to death!"

Gabriella planted her fists on her hips. "I didn't have keys to your office or to the apartment, and I didn't want to stand around outside the training room waiting for you. And I already told you, I left you a note telling you where I was going!"

"Where?"

"On the bulletin board on your office door."

His lips twisted. "There was no note on my door. The only thing on that bulletin board was the players' rehab schedule."

"I know! I put it next to that schedule, right at your eye level so you'd see it when you opened the door."

"There was no note," he insisted. "And you shouldn't have taken off with a dead cell phone battery."

"I didn't know it was dead," she argued. "I didn't even take it out of my purse until that player came over and asked who I was."

"Okay, fine, enough of that." Troy paced, chewing on his lip, and then stopped and fixed her with a stern stare. "Jamie said you confronted her about our relationship. You had no right to do that."

Her eyes flared. "The hell I didn't! I sat there and watched you two the whole game, talking and laughing, touching, hugging, rubbing arms… How do you think that made me feel?"

"Damn it, I already told you there's nothing going on with Jamie! Why won't you believe me?"

"Because I have eyes, Troy! And if you act that way when I'm sitting a hundred feet away, how do you act when I'm a hundred _miles _away? Is _this _why you were so anxious to get back to work?"

He began pacing again, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "You're being ridiculous! Jamie and I are _friends! _Besides, I don't even remember any of the physical contact that you just mentioned."

"Oh, good, let's relive it some more," she retorted sarcastically. She raised her fingers as she listed her points. "You hugged her practically as soon as you walked in the door…"

"_She _hugged _me_," he pointed out.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "And I didn't see you fighting to get her off of you. The only reason you let go is because I walked up." He shook his head in disagreement, but she continued her argument. "During the first half, she was rubbing your arm, and you were leaning close to talk to her." Troy started to interrupt, but she held up her hand to stop him. "In the second half, _you _went to _her_. Don't you remember that? You touched her face and put your arm around her." Her voice wobbled as fresh tears formed, and she turned away.

"She was overheated! It's my _job_ to make sure the players and staff stay cool and hydrated. It was hot today."

She whirled to face him, her anger flaring anew. "And yet you never bothered to check on _me, _to make sure _I _was cool and hydrated!"

Troy waved his arms in frustration. "Gabriella, I was busy today. There were a lot of injuries. I'm sorry I couldn't make it over to check on you, but Matt said he took you some water and made sure you were okay."

"Why didn't you send Matt to check on Jamie? And why didn't I see you treat _any other staff member _the way you treated Jamie?"

"Damn it, you're trying to make something of nothing. You're looking for clues when there is no mystery. And frankly, I'm tired of you doubting my faithfulness. I've never given you a reason to doubt me!"

She looked down at her feet. Her tears fell unchecked, and she ached deep in her heart. "Until today."

He shook his head, weary to the core. "Matt's waiting for us in the car. We can finish this later. Let's go."


	40. Perspective

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 40—Perspective**

Back at the apartment, Troy announced that he was going to take a shower, knowing that he needed time to calm down and think. He and Gabriella rarely fought, and this argument had been heated, fueled by the adrenaline from his frantic search for her. He stripped down and sighed as hot water poured over his body. His mind replayed their angry words over and over, and he shook his head, still not understanding why Gabriella didn't trust him. She had always accepted, without question, his interactions with other women—frisky cheerleaders at Berkeley, chummy fellow students in med school, flirty nurses at the hospital. He simply couldn't understand why she was making such a big deal about it now.

One thing she'd said stuck in his mind, though. She'd compared her jealousy of Jamie to his jealousy of Nick. That was a truth he couldn't escape, because he knew that if Nick ever touched Gabriella the way Jamie had touched Troy today, he would pound Nick into the ground. And then step on him. And maybe even run him over with his car, just for good measure.

Troy didn't realize how long he'd been in the shower until the water turned cold. He quickly rinsed soap from his skin, wincing when pain lanced through his right side. _Damn. _He turned off the water and dressed quickly. When he emerged from the steamy room, Gabriella was curled up on his bed, asleep. He took a few steps closer, and his gut clenched when he saw the tear tracks still evident on her cheeks. He had to resist the natural urge to lie down beside her and wrap his arms around her. No, not until they'd resolved things between them. Besides, she needed to rest so she could drive back to San Francisco that evening.

First, though, he needed to go back to his office and finish the paperwork for the players who'd been injured during the game. Quietly, he put on his socks and shoes, combed his hair, scribbled a note telling her where he was going, and crept out of the apartment.

He walked the short distance to the athletic complex and made his way to his office. He slid the key into the lock and paused, staring at the bulletin board in front of him. Just as he'd said, the only thing on it was the players' rehab schedule. He glance around at his feet, wondering if Gabriella's note had fallen, and spotted a green push pin on the floor, along with a torn corner from a piece of paper. _That's odd, _he told himself. He remembered that Coach Sterling had been standing outside his door when his search for Gabriella had just begun. And the coach had been unusually friendly. The pieces clicked into place. Gabriella _had _left a note. And Coach Sterling had taken it. Come to think of it, Coach Sterling had suggested that Jamie check on him during the first half, just like he'd suggested that Troy check on Jamie in the second half. What kind of game was that man playing?

Anger simmered under the surface, but Troy forced himself to concentrate on his paperwork so he could finish and get back to Gabriella. An hour later, he'd posted a new rehab schedule, called to check on Parker, e-mailed instructions to Matt and Jamie, and slipped reports under Pete's and Sterling's doors. Wearily, he pulled his office door shut and locked it, and then trudged back to the apartment.

When he entered, Gabriella was sitting on the couch with her arms wrapped around her waist. He approached hesitantly, still not happy with her, but concerned by how red and swollen her eyes were.

"Hey," he started.

She looked up miserably. "Hi."

"I had to finish some paperwork," he explained.

She nodded and dropped her head. "I saw your note."

He took a few more steps toward her. "Gabriella, we need to talk about what happened today."

Her gaze rose to meet his, and her voice trembled when she spoke. "Troy, I… I'm trying not to cry. I can't… cry while I'm driving home."

"I don't want to make you cry, but it's important that we settle this," he told her. "We could stay here tonight and go back in the morning."

Gabriella shook her head. "I have papers to grade. Could we… can we just go now and talk when we get home? Please?"

She looked broken, and again Troy fought the urge to pull her into his arms. "Sure, if that's what you want."

"It is." She pushed to her feet and walked around him to the dining room table to pick up her purse. She dug around until she found her keys and turned towards the door. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah." He picked up his bag and followed her out the door, locking it behind them. Tension still hung heavily between them, but Troy agreed that Gabriella shouldn't be driving while she was crying. A couple of hours, and then they'd have their talk.

…..~«ώ»~…..

Gabriella blinked against the evening sun as she drove west towards San Francisco. The sun hovered just above the horizon, making it difficult to see too far in front of her. Of course, her puffy eyes didn't help much either. Fortunately, traffic was light. She sighed and glanced at Troy, asleep in the passenger seat. The first half hour of the trip had been tense—they'd only spoken to one another when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, Troy had stared sullenly out the window. It had actually been a relief when he'd fallen asleep. She felt bad that she'd put him off when he'd tried to talk, but it had been too much for her just then. She needed time to get her pregnancy-hormone-fueled emotions under control.

_Where had they gone wrong? _she wondered. Troy was right—he'd never given her any reason not to trust him. But damn it, she had eyes! She could see what was going on between Troy and Jamie, and she didn't like it one bit. If Troy witnessed Nick behaving that way towards her, he would go off the deep end. It _should _make her feel better that both Troy and Jamie had denied any impropriety, but it didn't. The distance and time apart was taking a toll on their relationship, and Gabriella had no idea how to fix it. Troy loved the job in Sacramento, but to her it felt like he was living two separate lives. And she was only a part of one of them. _No! _she chided herself. _I can't cry right now. _Taking a shaky breath, she set her jaw and reached for the radio knob.

The car crested a hill, and Gabriella gasped. Directly ahead, the road was covered with broken glass and twisted metal from a multi-car pile-up. She reacted, sucking in a frightened breath as she slammed on the brakes and steered towards the right, away from the crash. Her fingers gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were white, and she braced for impact. It never came. The car stopped on the right shoulder of the highway, still intact, only ten feet away from the nearest wrecked vehicle.

"Dear God, that was close," Troy breathed beside her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded mutely, and Troy reached over and gently pried her fingers from the steering wheel. Smoke rose from the cars in front of her, and the smell of burned rubber filled her nostrils. The enormity of what had just happened hit her, and she suddenly felt like all the air had been sucked out of the vehicle. She gasped for breath, leaning forward to rest her forehead on the wheel.

"Hey, stay with me!" Troy said tensely, urging her to lean back with a hand on her shoulder. "Breathe! You're okay. We're both okay."

She closed her eyes, trying to calm her breathing. She looked up when she heard Troy's door open, followed by the trunk. He appeared at the driver's side door with his medical bag.

"Gabriella, I need to help these people. Get out of the car, climb over to the other side of the guardrail, and stay there! Got it?" He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to her. "Call 911."

He waited for her nod, and then dashed through the twisted wreckage. Gabriella was shaking so badly that she wondered if her legs would carry her, but she stood anyway and staggered to the side of the road. _Did she really have to wait on the other side of the guardrail? _It was rocky and rough, and about five feet beyond the guardrail, the ground dropped away into a ravine. As if in answer to her question, a silver car topped the hill and slammed on the brakes, just as she had. She watched wide-eyed as the car slid towards her and came to a safe stop behind her car. Two young men jumped out.

"Ma'am, are you all right?" one asked.

She nodded and cleared her throat. "My husband's a doctor—he just went to see if he could help."

"Ron, grab a couple of flares from the trunk and get on the other side of that hill to stop traffic," the young man told his friend. Ron nodded and raced away. "My name is Nathan," he told Gabriella, touching her arm and glancing at her swollen abdomen. "I'm a third-year med student. Are you sure you're all right? Were you involved in the accident?"

"No," she answered, staring at the accident scene. There was a tractor trailer and three cars with varying amounts of damage. Gabriella gestured towards the yellow car closest to them. "This must've just happened. That car passed me no more than five minutes ago."

"Okay, well, I'm going to go see what I can do," Nathan told her. He ran towards the scene, and Gabriella braced her hands on the guardrail, preparing to climb over. Until the cry of a child cut through the eerie silence.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy stood in the midst of the wreckage and surveyed the situation. The driver of the tractor trailer was shaken and disoriented, but unhurt. In the middle of the pile-up, the red car's occupants had been protected by their airbags. The driver, a man in his fifties, was out of the car, unhurt except for abrasions on his face and chest. He was trying to get his wife out of the passenger seat, but her door was stuck. The yellow car's driver had her feet pinned under the steering wheel. The driver of the white car, in front of the scene, was in the worst shape. He had a head wound and possible chest trauma, and was slumped over the steering wheel. Troy pulled at the driver's door, trying to get it open, and suddenly there was a young man next to him, pulling along with him. It was no use—the door was so badly smashed that it would require machinery to get it open. The other side was equally damaged. Troy stood, weighing his options, and turned to face the young man.

"You're a doctor?" the young man asked. Troy nodded. "I'm a third year med student. Name's Nathan. What can I do to help?"

Troy looked back at the hill behind them. "We need to get traffic stopped, or this scene's going to keep piling up."

"Already on it," Nathan replied. "I sent my buddy out with some flares."

"Good," Troy answered distractedly. He'd been to accident scenes before, but he'd never had to triage one on his own. "Okay, this guy's the worst off. I'll work on him. Check the girl in the yellow car. She's pinned. I've got supplies if you need them. I'm Troy, by the way."

"Got it, Troy," Nathan said, turning to jog towards the back of the scene. The older man was still struggling with the door of the red car, and Nathan paused to help him pop it open before continuing on.

Troy snapped on a pair of gloves and pulled packs of gauze out of his bag to try to stop the bleeding from his driver's head. The window had shattered in the accident, and splinters of glass pricked Troy's forearms as he leaned in to treat the victim. Behind him, the older man had gotten his wife out of the car and walked her to the left shoulder of the highway. After he was sure she was all right, he picked his way through the mess to Troy's side.

"Is your wife okay?" Troy asked, not taking his eyes off the young man he was working on.

"Yeah, just a little shaken up," the older man answered. "What can I do to help?"

Troy hesitated. He could use another set of hands with this victim, but there wasn't enough room for two people in the tight space.

"See if you can help Nathan get that girl out of her car," Troy instructed. The man started moving away just as a police car appeared at the top of the hill. "Wait! First, could you… my wife is parked behind the semi. Could you please check on her and make sure she's okay?"

"You bet," the man replied.

Troy continued to work on his patient, packing his wounds as best as he could. The man had not regained consciousness, his breathing was ragged, and his pulse was weak. The police officer went first to Nathan, who sent him on to Troy. Troy gave him a quick rundown of his triage assessment and sent him to check on the truck driver. He was back a minute later, his brows furrowed.

"Sir, did you witness the crash?" the officer asked. Troy shook his head. "The truck driver's really out of it, but he keeps saying, 'There's another one, there's another one.' Have you accounted for all the victims?"

Troy frowned. "Yes. This driver and the girl in the yellow car had no passengers. There were two in the red car. And the truck driver." He paused to think. "Did you check his sleeper? Maybe he had a passenger in there."

The officer went to check, and the older man returned. "Um, where did you say your wife was?"

Troy's patience was wearing thin, but he forced his voice to remain even. "The blue car parked right behind the semi. I told her to wait on the other side of the guardrail."

The older man shook his head. "She's not in or beside the car, sir. I even walked up the hill to see if she was there. Holy cow, traffic's already backed up for several miles!"

Troy's thread of control snapped. "What do you mean, she's not there? She has to be there! Where else would she go?"

The man took a step back and raised his hands in surrender. Shaking his head, Troy scanned the accident scene, but didn't see her anywhere. From where he stood, the tractor trailer blocked his view of Gabriella's car behind it. _What was going on? _An uneasy feeling tightened his chest, but he couldn't leave his patient. Not even when he heard a distant, anguished cry that tore at his very soul.

"_Troy!"_

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella stood still, straining to hear the child's cry again. _Where on earth was it coming from? _She heard it again, turning in a circle to try to place its origin. It seemed to be coming from below. She leaned over the guardrail, trying to see down into the ravine, but a wall of earth jutted out beside the semi, blocking her view. Carefully, she climbed over the guardrail and walked to the edge of the ravine. She heard another cry, closer this time. The slope was steep, but still navigable. Gabriella picked her way gingerly down the incline, using small trees and brush to steady herself. She didn't intend to go all the way down, just far enough to see past that stupid outcropping…

In an instant, her sandal slipped in the loose dirt and her feet slid out from under her. She was falling, sliding down the embankment. She had the presence of mind to twist her body so that she slid feet-first, on her backside. She dug her heels into the earth, slowing her descent until the slope leveled out. She sat still for a moment, silently taking inventory. She wasn't hurt, apart from scrapes on her hands, feet, legs, back, and rear end. _If only I'd put on long pants, _she silently lamented.

She stood carefully and sighed, looking up the hill that she would have to climb back up to get to the car. And then she heard the cry again, close… She turned to her left, and her heart nearly stopped. Thirty feet away, a van lay on its left side in the ravine. Its roof and sides were crushed, and the windows were broken out. Gabriella looked up towards the highway and saw a mangled section of guardrail. The van had apparently flipped and rolled down the hill. How could anyone survive…?

"_Troy!" _she screamed. _"Troy! Down here!"_

Her shout apparently frightened the child, because the weak cries turned into lusty wails. The child was still inside the van! As quickly as she dared, Gabriella crawled through the back window, ignoring the broken glass that bit into her knees. The van had three bench seats, and she crawled along the right side, next to the floor. She checked the back seat, and then the next. When she got to the first bench seat, she found the source of the cries—a little girl, around two years old, still dangling from what was left of her car seat. When she saw Gabriella, her dark eyes widened and she reached for her.

"Mama! Mama!"

"It's okay, sweetie," Gabriella soothed as she pulled at the straps that held her in place. Her right shoulder brushed against the driver's seat, and she craned her neck to see… there was no one there. Her hands shook, trying to loosen knots and buckles that were stretched to their limits. She heard shouts from above, and then sand and gravel rained down against the roof in front of her. Someone was coming down into the ravine.

"Troy!" she called out. "Troy! There's a little girl in here…"

A face appeared in the broken windshield. Not Troy, but Nathan.

"What've you got?" he asked anxiously.

"A little girl, around two years old. She's hanging in her car seat, and I can't get her out. Do you have a pocket knife?"

Nathan pulled one out and stretched his arm through the windshield. Gabriella leaned forward to grab it.

"Is the driver back there?" he asked.

"No. He might've been thrown…"

"I see him!" Nathan interrupted, glancing over his left shoulder. "Are you okay in there? I'm going to go check on him."

"Yes," she answered, turning back towards the child. The crying had stopped, and as she watched in horror, the baby's eyes fluttered shut and her body went limp.

"No!" she cried, sawing at the straps with the blade. When she cut through the last strap, the baby fell into her outstretched arms. Gabriella's first aid training kicked in, and she leaned down to check the child's vital signs. There was a weak pulse, but no breathing. She laid the child down and blew several breaths into her mouth. When Gabriella paused, the girl sputtered and started breathing again. Whispering a prayer of thanks, Gabriella gathered the girl in her arms. Her hand found matted blood on the back of the child's head, with fresh blood seeping through. Gabriella took off her jacket and pressed it into the wound. Her stomach rolled when she felt an indentation in the baby's skull.

"Nathan!" she cried.

Sirens blared above them, and she heard Nathan shouting for help from the paramedics. Gravel and sand pelted the van's roof, and Gabriella heard one medic run towards Nathan's victim. Another stuck his head through the windshield.

"Ma'am, are you hurt?" he asked.

"No, I wasn't in the accident," she told him. "But I have a little girl, around two years old, with head trauma. I… I think she has a skull fracture." Her voice trembled. "I had to give her some rescue breaths, but she's breathing on her own now."

"Do you have something to stop the bleeding?" the man asked.

"I'm using my jacket," she reported.

"Okay, don't remove it," the medic instructed. "How do you know there's a skull fracture?"

Gabriella's bottom lip trembled. "Where my hand is… it's… it's caved in."

The other paramedic shouted from where Nathan was, and the man by the windshield leaned in. "Ma'am, can you sit tight for a few minutes? This other patient out here is very, very critical. I'll be back after we get him up the hill. Okay?"

"Okay," she nodded.

"Ma'am, this is important," he continued. "Whatever you do, _don't move your hand! _If the bone shifts and punctures her brain, she'll be dead in an instant. Got it?"

Gabriella's eyes were wide with fear. "G-got it. Please hurry!"

There were more shouts, more falling gravel, more sirens. Gabriella blocked it out and focused on the child in her arms. The girl's eyes opened, and she reached up to touch Gabriella's face.

"Mama?"

"It's okay, honey," Gabriella told her, stroking her cheek gently. "Mama will be here soon."

That seemed to satisfy the little girl, and she relaxed in Gabriella's arms. Soon her eyes closed again, and Gabriella watched to make sure her chest was still rising and falling. Then, after she was sure the child was resting peacefully, she finally allowed herself to cry.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy breathed a sigh of relief as paramedics and firefighters surrounded him, working to cut away the twisted metal of the white car. His arms shook as he continued to hold thick gauze pads against the unconscious man's wounds. There was a great deal of activity on the other side of the tractor trailer, but the cab of the truck blocked Troy's view. Nathan hadn't returned since he'd gone to check on Gabriella, and Troy desperately hoped that she was not the one that needed the paramedics' attention.

"Okay, sir, we're going to try to pull this section of the door away," the firefighter closest to him said. "Lean back as far as you can without letting go of the victim."

Troy did as instructed, and the metal surrounding his arms began to peel away from the frame. He dutifully kept his hands on the victim's wounds until they lifted him out of the car and onto a spine board. Only then did Troy lift his hands, and the paramedics immediately replaced them with their own.

His job was done. Wearily, Troy pulled off his gloves as he watched them load the victim into the ambulance. It took off, sirens wailing, and Troy allowed himself a moment to let down. His neck dropped back and he stretched, easing the stiff muscles. Finally, he bent and picked up his medical bag and went in search of Gabriella.

The sun had slipped below the horizon, and firemen were working to set up portable light stands. Troy circled around the front of the semi's cab, and his breath lodged in his throat. There, below a mangled section of guardrail, was a van on its side in the ravine below. _How had he missed that? _The firefighters had rigged a winch to the guardrail and were in the process of pulling a victim up the slope. Nathan and two paramedics flanked the basket in which the victim rode, apparently working hard to save the man's life. When the victim reached the top, Troy saw that the man's injuries were catastrophic. It was a wonder that he was still breathing. The paramedics lifted him over the guardrail and raced to load him into the ambulance. It screamed away, and Troy put a hand on Nathan's shoulder.

"Where's my wife? Is she okay?"

"Yeah," Nathan answered. "There's another victim, a little girl with a skull fracture. Your wife found her. She's still in the van. They're bringing her up next." He looked down at the crushed vehicle and shook his head dejectedly. "There was nothing else I could do for that guy. I tried my best, but… I don't know. It was so bad. So much trauma."

"You kept him alive until the paramedics arrived," Troy pointed out. "That's all you could do."

"I guess," Nathan shrugged. He shuffled away, ready to give his statement to the police and go home.

Troy slung a leg over the guardrail, preparing to go down to see Gabriella, but a firefighter grasped his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Sorry, sir, but I can't let you go down there," the man told him gruffly.

"But my wife is down there with the victim," Troy pleaded. "She's pregnant and I want to make sure she's okay. Please let me go down there and help."

The man shook his head. "We've already got three guys down there. It's a very delicate situation, and your wife needs to have all of her focus on the baby. They'll be coming up soon."

Troy's chest tightened. Questions swam through his brain. _How had Gabriella gotten down into the ravine? Was she hurt? How had she found that van and the child inside? How did she know what to do? _A skull fracture, particularly on a child, was very dangerous. One wrong move and the victim could end up paralyzed, brain dead, or could bleed out and die on the spot. _How was Gabriella coping with the stress of literally holding a child's life in her hands?_

It seemed to take forever, but finally the winch started to grind slowly, and Troy leaned over the guardrail to watch as the basket came up. Gabriella was strapped to a spine board with the little girl on her chest. Through her trembling fingers, he could see her blood-soaked jacket pressed into the child's head. Her gaze dropped to the baby in her arms, and warmth spread in Troy's chest as she gently touched the little girl's face, whispering words of comfort. As the basket neared the top, Gabriella's eyes locked on Troy's, and he could see her fear.

"You're doing great, sweetheart," he said softly. "Everything will be fine. You can do this."

She nodded almost imperceptibly and returned her attention to the child as they carefully unhooked the spine board from the basket and prepared to lift it over the guardrail. The jostling woke the little girl, and she looked into Gabriella's face.

"Mama? Wanna go home."

"We'll be home soon, baby," she murmured. "Close your eyes and rest, okay?"

The girl's eyelids closed, and Gabriella struggled to keep her emotions in check. Troy stepped forward, wanting more than anything to comfort her, but again the firefighter put up a hand to stop him.

"Not yet. We need to get her into the ambulance and get that wound packed," he explained.

Reluctantly, Troy nodded and watched helplessly as the rescue workers surrounded Gabriella. A shout from the front of the truck tore his attention away, and he turned.

"Medic! I need a medic here!"

Troy dashed to where two police officers were hunched over the truck driver's still form.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"We were questioning him, and suddenly his eyes rolled back and he collapsed," one officer told him.

Troy pulled out his stethoscope and blood pressure cuff and grasped the man's arm. It was pale and clammy, and he could feel the muscles trembling. A quick check of the man's pulse strengthened Troy's suspicion, and he turned to one of the officers beside him.

"Go find his toiletries kit in his cab."

The officer darted off, and by the time Troy removed the blood pressure cuff, he was back with the requested bag. Troy took it from him and dumped the contents out onto the pavement. He pawed through the items until he found what he was looking for, and held them up for the officers to see.

"Insulin syringes," he explained. "He's in diabetic shock."

Among the syringes, Troy was relieved to find a glucagon rescue kit. He quickly opened the vial, mixed the solution, and injected it into the truck driver's leg. It took only a few minutes for the man to regain consciousness, and by then there were two paramedics waiting to load him into an ambulance. While Troy was checking the man's vitals again, he heard a door slam, and the other ambulance pulled away with the little girl inside. Distractedly, Troy nodded to the paramedics behind him, signaling that the man was ready for transport. As they moved in, Troy stood and surveyed the scene.

There was a larger crowd now—more firefighters, police, and accident investigators. The victims were all gone, and when Troy glanced back towards Gabriella's car, he saw that Nathan and his buddy had left as well. He circled the crowd, looking for Gabriella. After all that had happened, he ached to hold her and make sure she was okay. The paramedics that had brought her up from the ravine were gone, most likely in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. _Had she gone in the ambulance with the baby?_

"Excuse me, sir. I understand you were first on the scene. I need to ask you a few questions."

Troy turned to face the police officer, and over the officer's left shoulder, sitting on the side of the road, was Gabriella. She wore only the tank tops she'd worn to the game, and she shivered in the cool evening air. Tears glistened on her cheeks.

"In a minute," Troy said curtly. He didn't wait for the officer's response, but rushed to his wife. He stopped in front of her and she stood into his arms.

"Baby, are you okay?" he asked anxiously.

She nodded and clung to him as deep sobs wracked her body. He held her tight, and she grasped fistfuls of his shirt where her hands met on his back.

"Shh," he murmured. "It's okay. It's all over now, honey. I'm proud of you." He cupped her face with one hand while his other arm held her to him. "Shh, don't cry."

"She thought I was her Mom, Troy," Gabriella choked out. "She was so tiny and fragile, and I was terrified that I would hurt her."

"But you didn't," he told her. "You kept her alive. You gave her a chance."

She clung to him and cried out her pain and stress and fear. Troy tucked her head under his chin and tightened his arms around her, and a few tears rolled down his cheeks as well. It had been a difficult day for both of them, but this accident gave some much-needed perspective on their earlier argument. Sure, they might not always agree, but when it really mattered, they were there for one another, no questions asked. They were a team.

Finally Gabriella began to calm, and Troy drew a deep breath.

"Gabriella, I'm sorry for everything that happened today. We don't have to talk about it now, but I just wanted you to know that. And that I love you, more than anything."

She looked up at him with a watery smile. "I'm sorry too, sorry for not trusting you. I love you."

They stood together for a few more minutes, and then Troy returned to the police officer, his hand resting on the small of her back. He didn't plan to let her go anytime soon. He gave the officer his statement, and then Gabriella gave hers. He stood beside her, stroking her back with his thumb as he listened to her explanation of how she'd found the little girl. When they finally finished, they walked wearily towards their car.

"Are you sure you're okay? Maybe we should go to the hospital and get you checked out," he suggested.

She shook her head. "We're less than an hour away from San Francisco. If we—_both_ of us—need to get checked out, we can do it there. But more than anything, I just want to go home."

They reached the car, and Gabriella was surprised when Troy circled to the passenger seat and helped her in before settling behind the wheel.

"Troy, you're not supposed to be driving," she pointed out.

"I haven't taken a pain pill since before the game," he confessed. "And trust me, after everything that just happened, there's no chance that I'll fall asleep at the wheel." He picked up her hand and wove his fingers with hers. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go home."

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy and Gabriella trudged wearily into their living room an hour later, Gabriella immediately headed for the shower, and Troy opened his laptop to see if there were any news reports about the accident. It had occurred north of Vallejo, so he pulled up the website for the Vallejo Times Herald. Finding no new information, he went to the bedroom and stripped off his soiled clothing. He pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and sunk onto the bed, groaning at the lingering pain in his right side.

The sound of running water from the shower coaxed him to relax, and soon his eyes drifted shut. When he opened them again, Gabriella was out of the shower, tiptoeing around the bedroom wrapped in a towel. Troy watched her appreciatively for a few moments, appreciating how the wet towel clung to her lush curves in the mostly-dark room. When she dropped the towel to pull on a pair of panties, he could no longer resist. He reached out and turned on the lamp beside him, startling her as he grinned wolfishly.

"I'm sorry," she stammered. "I thought you were asleep. I didn't realize I was putting on a peep show."

"Trust me, I didn't mind," he teased. She turned away self-consciously and pulled on a soft cotton nightie with thin straps, but not before Troy saw the angry cuts, scrapes, and bruises that covered her arms, back, and legs. Instantly serious, he stood and went to her for a closer look. "What the hell happened to you?"

She turned to face him again, unsure of his reaction. "I, um… well, I was waiting by the guardrail, like you told me to, but I kept hearing a child crying. I started down into the ravine to look for her and… my, uh, foot slipped and I fell the rest of the way."

"What? Damn it, Gabriella, why didn't you say anything about it before?" he demanded. "You could have been seriously hurt! And what about the baby? What if you'd caused pre-term contractions or placental disruption?"

A look of hurt flickered across her face. "I didn't fall on purpose, Troy. I rotated myself while I was falling to _protect _the baby. That's why all of the cuts are on my back."

Troy sighed and ran a hand over his face. "You're right, I'm sorry. Are you having any bleeding or cramps?"

"No," she answered. "Just feeling foolish for trying to make it down the hill wearing sandals."

He tipped her head up and settled his hands on her shoulders. "You probably saved that girl's life, sweetie." He bent to kiss her forehead, and she leaned into him. "Lie down on the bed. I want to check those cuts."

Gabriella looked up at him knowingly. "What about you? Don't think I haven't noticed how you've been favoring your right side all evening."

"It's nothing," he told her.

"It's not nothing, Troy," she insisted. "You shouldn't be having that kind of pain a week after surgery."

He tilted his head, and a smile teased the corners of his mouth. "Hey, who's the doctor here?"

"You are, but you're better at taking care of others than you are taking care of yourself," she pointed out.

"Okay, fair enough," he allowed. "We'll reevaluate in the morning, and if necessary, we'll both get checked out. How's that?"

"I'm going to hold you to that." She turned and walked towards the bed, ditching her nightie as she went. She intentionally wriggled her backside and glanced over her shoulder before settling on the bed, lying face down. "I'm ready for you, Dr. Bolton," she purred.

Troy nearly swallowed his tongue. "I… I'll go get my bag."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella relaxed into the mattress, soothed by Troy's gentle touch on her bare back. It had stung when he'd dabbed antiseptic onto her cuts and scrapes, but now he was massaging aloe into her skin, and it felt heavenly. Especially when he brushed her hair aside and tenderly kissed the back of her neck.

"You know, you're not going to be able to lie on your stomach like this much longer," he pointed out.

"Yeah," she sighed. "I guess I should enjoy it while I can."

His hands continued to work their magic, and she heard him draw a deep breath. "Gabriella, I'm sorry for yelling at you at school today. When I couldn't find you, it scared the hell out of me, thinking something bad had happened…" He trailed off, but she understood.

"I shouldn't have run off on you like that," she conceded. "I was confused and upset, and I needed to be alone for a little while."

Troy stood from the bed and went to stare out the window into the darkness. Sensing the shift between them, she sat up and pulled her nightie back on, and then sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for his response.

"It was just… between the dead phone battery and the missing note… " She started to protest about the note, but he held up a hand to stop her. "When I went back to my office while you were asleep, I realized that Coach Sterling was standing by my door when I came to find you after your run-in with Jamie. I'm pretty sure he took the note you left for me."

Gabriella frowned. "Why would he do that? That doesn't make sense."

He turned back to face her, framed by the moonlight behind him. "I think he's trying to stir things up between us."

She chewed on her bottom lip nervously. "He told me there was something going on between you and Jamie."

"What?" Troy's eyes flashed angrily. "When?"

She shrunk back, not wanting to upset him again. "Before the game, when I was waiting in your office."

He shook his head disgustedly. "And you believed him." His voice was flat, and she sensed his unspoken accusation. He ran a hand through his hair. "How could you believe him over me?"

Frustration tightened her chest. "Because I saw you and Jamie together! The coach may have told me, but I saw it with my own eyes!"

"You don't understand," Troy insisted. "Coach Sterling set up those things you saw during the game. He told Jamie that I was overdoing it and that she should check on me. Then he told me that Jamie was overheated and needed medical attention. He did those things on purpose to make you think there was something between us."

Gabriella crossed her arms in front of her chest, unconvinced. "What about the hug in the hallway before the game? Are you trying to say that he had something to do with that too?"

He shrugged. "That was just… Jamie was glad to see me, to see that I was all right after surgery. That's all it was. You made a big deal of it, but it was nothing."

She shook her head sadly. "You're the one who doesn't understand. I'm sorry for reacting so strongly, for not trusting you, but I feel like… like it's not just miles that are separating us." A tear slid down her cheek, and she brushed it away angrily. "I know you love me, Troy, and I love you, more than anything. But I'm afraid. It's not just that I'm here and you're there. It's like we're living separate lives." Her voice broke. "Things are different between us, and I'm scared because I don't know how to fix it. _That's _why I thought there was something going on between you and Jamie." She covered her face with her hands and choked on a sob.

His natural instinct was to comfort her, and this time he didn't resist. He went to the bed and sat beside her, wrapping his arms around her as she buried her face in his chest.

"I get it, sweetheart. I really do. If I saw some other guy behaving that way around you, I would hate it. You're mine, and I want you all to myself. It's not fair to expect you to be okay with it when I wouldn't be." He lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. "I swear to you that there is _nothing _going on between Jamie and me. And I will make sure that there is no further physical contact, unless absolutely necessary. I'm going to have a few words with Pete and Coach Sterling when I go back on Wednesday to make sure he doesn't bother you again."

"He'll make the rest of your assignment miserable," she argued.

Troy shook his head. "It doesn't matter. _You _matter. You and our child are my top priority, and I won't allow him or anyone or any_thing_ to interfere with our marriage. You're way too important to me." He looked down for a moment and cleared his throat. When he looked at her again, she couldn't miss the intensity in his eyes. "That accident tonight… it really put things in perspective, didn't it? Life is fragile. Time is fragile. We never know… I don't want to waste time arguing or being upset. I just want to love you and build a life and a family with you and appreciate the time we have together."

Deeply touched, she reached up to stroke his stubbly cheek. "I want that too. It's what I've always wanted, ever since you waltzed into my life."

He smiled gently. "Actually, the waltzing came later. By then, I knew we were going to be together forever."

"Me too." She smiled back at him. "I love you, Troy."

"I love you too, baby." His smile widened, and he lowered her gently onto the bed. "And it'll be my pleasure to show you just how much."


	41. Recovering

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 41—Recovering**

_**A/N:** It's been a rough few weeks for me, including an accident in which I broke both of my arms. Writing has been a challenge, and I apologize for the delay. Thanks to my readers for their patience and support, and especially to Robin, whose e-mails cheered me up and reminded me to take care of myself before worrying about the story. I hope this chapter is worth the wait.  
_**This chapter is rated M.**

* * *

Gabriella shifted in bed, trying to find a comfortable position. Her body still hummed from the post-fight "make-up sex," although it hadn't been full-out sex because of Troy's restriction. He'd used his fingers and mouth on her, and she'd fallen into an exhausted, post-orgasmic sleep without returning the favor. Now she was awake, horny, and ready for more. Problem was, Troy lay on his back beside her, snoring softly. She rolled onto her stomach, propped her chin on her hands, and carefully pulled down the blanket that pooled at Troy's waist. He had removed his basketball shorts, leaving only the obstacle of his boxers. Gently, she cupped him through the soft material, smiling as he naturally moved towards her hand. She stroked and teased him, dragging the fabric across his rapidly-hardening shaft. Somewhere along the way, she realized that he was no longer snoring, and she looked up guiltily to find him watching her. His arms were crossed behind his head, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Are you enjoying yourself down there?" he teased.

"A better question would be, are _you_ enjoying yourself down here?"

"You're playing with fire, baby," he warned. "Keep that up, and I'm going to forget about my restriction."

She pulled back, worry creasing her face. "Troy, you're already sore…"

"Right," he agreed. "But see, that's the thing… I've already set a dislocated shoulder and triaged an accident scene. Compared to that, making love to my wife doesn't seem so strenuous."

"Don't tease me," she groaned, clearly conflicted. "It's so hard to keep my hands off…"

"Then don't," he finished for her, guiding her hands back to his erection.

She didn't have to be told twice, pulling off Troy's boxers in one quick motion. She resumed her strokes with purpose, and Troy groaned when she leaned down to tease her tongue over his tip. Her hair tickled his abdomen as she moved closer, and he gathered it in his fist so he could watch her. In the darkness, her eyes glittered when she looked up at him, and he felt her smile against his hard flesh.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice low and smoky.

"Sweetheart, I am_ so_ much better than okay."

Without another word, her head dipped again, taking more of him into her mouth. Troy was torn—his natural urge was to tip his head back, close his eyes, and absorb the pleasure she was giving him. But he wanted to watch her, to see her plump lips around him as no other woman had ever been. She teased him with long strokes of her tongue while her fist pumped the base of his shaft. Her mouth closed over him again, taking him deeper, and his body arched in response.

"Oh, yeah… Suck me, baby," he groaned. Unable to control himself, he thrust his hips up and gently pushed her head down, establishing a rhythm that she quickly adopted. She did as he asked and sucked him on each down stroke, and he moaned with each thrust into her mouth. Finally, he could take no more, and he pulled away, urging Gabriella onto her back. She hadn't put her panties back on after their earlier encounter, so he had easy access.

"Hey, let me finish," she protested, pushing at his shoulders as he hovered over her.

"Sorry, not this time, beautiful," he answered. "I've been thinking about this for a week, and I'm going to have it my way."

"Troy…" she began to argue. The words died on her lips as he slid the blunt head of his erection against her wet heat, circling, before he suddenly plunged into her in one swift stroke. Her body clenched for a moment, resisting the invasion, and then her hips fell open to him. "Troy." This time it was a whimper.

"I love the way you say my name," he murmured against her neck. "And all the sexy sounds you make."

He pulled out and then pushed back in, smiling at the way her breath caught. He pulled out again and pushed in, harder this time.

"That's good," she whispered. Her fingers gripped the ridges of muscle on his back, and he thrust into her again. "Harder…"

"Take it easy, baby," he told her. "We've got all night." Still, their love-making quickly intensified. He kissed her until they were both breathless, and then buried his face into her neck.

"Troy, please!" she begged from beneath him. "I don't want to wait!" He lifted one of her legs, angling deeper inside her, and sweat beaded on his skin as he drove into her. She bucked and twisted against him, trying desperately to create the angle she sought. Her fingernails dug into his backside as if she could somehow pull him deeper into her body.

"Gabriella," he murmured, slowing his pace and leaning down to frame her face with his hands. "Look at me."

She slid her fingers up his back, loving the feel of his hard body on top of hers, the way he moved inside her. She stared into the depths of his eyes, and saw the naked truth there. He loved her. He wanted her. _Only _her. Any lingering doubt she'd had about Jamie melted away, and tears pricked the backs of her eyes.

"I love you," he told her, his lips a whisper away from hers. "I don't ever want you to doubt that, okay?"

She nodded, unable to speak through the lump in her throat, and Troy kissed her gently. Then his eyes darkened, and she watched wide-eyed as he drew back and rammed into her.

"_Yesss…_" The word hissed through her teeth, and just like that, the intense fervor was back, stronger than ever. She wanted him so badly. "Troy!"

"Come on, baby," he grunted.

Her body began to tighten, and Troy, on the very edge of control himself, pushed her knees up to her chest and drove into her in deep, powerful strokes. Her body seemed to tighten impossibly around him, and she cried out only a moment before he exploded inside her. His back arched as his orgasm seemed to go on and on, and when he finally began to return to earth, he looked down to see a look of pure satisfaction on his wife's face. Lowering her legs back onto the bed, he relaxed on top of her, carefully bracing his weight on his elbows as he remained inside her.

They needed no words; they kissed softly and breathed in one another. Finally, Gabriella reached up to touch Troy's face.

"How's your side? Are you okay?"

He pulled her hand away and kissed each of her fingertips. "Don't worry about me, sweetie. I'm fine, I promise."

She smiled, visibly relieved, and he watched her eyes flutter shut. Within moments she was asleep, and he leaned down to kiss each of her eyelids. Gently he eased off of her and onto his side. _Yes, it was sore,_ he admitted to himself. But with his body sated and his lover in his arms, he couldn't have cared less.

…..~«ώ»~…..

_Troy stood by the side of the road, looking over the crash scene he'd just come upon. The smell of smoke and burned rubber hung thick in the air, and he could hear the cries of people stuck in their vehicles. He glanced around, wondering how he'd gotten there. He held his medical bag in his right hand, but rather than rushing to the scene to help, he stood there as if his feet were rooted to that spot._

_Suddenly he heard the hum of an engine behind him, and he turned just in time to see Gabriella's car speed over the hill, heading directly towards the wrecked vehicles._

"_Gabriella!" he shouted. "Hey! Stop!" He waved his arms frantically as the car zoomed past him. Gabriella didn't glance in his direction; didn't even seem to see him or the mangled vehicles in front of her. The car sped on, and Troy watched in horror as it plowed into the rear of the tractor trailer and exploded in a ball of flames._

"_No!" Troy screamed. "Gabriella!"_

Troy jerked upright in bed, his whole body trembling from the impact of his nightmare. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to calm his racing heart.

"Troy?"

Gabriella's hand found the small of his back in the darkness, and she must've felt the tension of his taut muscles. He felt her shift onto her knees behind him, and her soft curves melded into his side. She rubbed soothing circles on his back with one hand while the other caressed his forearm.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she asked anxiously. "You're shaking."

"I'm okay," he assured her, laying a hand across her lap to stroke her leg. "It was just a dream."

"What was it about?" she pressed.

Troy shook his head, unwilling to tell her the specifics of the dream. "It was just… about the accident. I… I wish I could've done more."

She touched his face, her fingers rasping against the stubble on his jaw. "You did everything you could, Troy. You were great."

He turned towards her, taking her hands in his and rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles. "So were you. We make a good team, you know."

"I _do _know." Gabriella leaned in to kiss him, and he eagerly met her halfway. He enjoyed the taste of her lips for a few moments before breaking free to lie down with her. He pulled her close and kissed her again, pushing aside the feeling of foreboding that lingered in his mind with the final remnants of his dream. She was there with him, safe and sound. _She's fine, _he told himself. _Everything will be fine._

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy awoke the next morning, Gabriella was not beside him. He pulled his basketball shorts back on and, after a quick stop in the bathroom, went in search of her. He found her sitting on a stool at the kitchen island. The newspaper was spread open in front of her, and she sipped a glass of juice as she read. Smiling, he moved to stand behind her, laying his hands on her shoulders and kissing the top of her head.

"Hi," she started, turning her head so he could kiss her lips. After he complied, she leaned back against the island to study him. "You don't look so good."

"Thanks, babe," he teased, pulling a stool close enough that his knees bracketed hers. "Always a confidence booster."

"I meant that it looks like you didn't get much sleep last night," she clarified, laying a hand on his thigh. "You did a lot of tossing and turning."

His expression turned remorseful. "I'm sorry, did I keep you awake? Is that why you're up so early?"

She smiled. "No, you didn't keep me awake. Did you have more nightmares, or was it just trouble getting comfortable because of your side?"

He waved his hand dismissively. "I'm fine. It was probably just leftover adrenaline from the accident." He winked suggestively at her. "And some great sex with my gorgeous wife."

Gabriella blushed cutely and swatted at him. "That doesn't usually interfere with your sleep." Her brows furrowed as another idea occurred to her. "It wasn't because of what happened between us yesterday, was it?" She looked down at her hands. "We're okay, right?"

He tipped her chin back up and caressed her cheek with his thumb. "We're okay, sweetheart." He leaned forward to kiss her again, and then sat back with a grin.

She gestured towards the newspaper in front of her. "Maybe this will help you sleep easier tonight. The driver you worked on last night—he's going to make it. You saved his life, Troy."

He picked up the paper. "What about the others?"

"The truck driver and the older couple were treated and released. The young woman has a few broken bones, but she'll recover." She sighed. "There's nothing there about the baby's condition. Only that she was transported to the children's hospital in Larkspur."

He covered her hand with his. "You did everything you could. You gave her a fighting chance."

Gabriella looked away, fighting sudden tears. "I just kept thinking… imagining… if it was _our _child. How awful that would be…"

He stood and wrapped his arms around her. "I know, baby. I know." She calmed quickly, nestling her cheek against his bare chest. "The driver of the van… was that her father?"

"No," she answered. "It's crazy—he's the little girl's uncle. He got in a fight with his sister—the baby's mother—and took off in their van with the baby inside." She looked down again. "He didn't make it."

Troy rubbed her shoulders soothingly. "It's a wonder he made it as long as he did. I suspect that he caused the accident, too."

She nodded. "That's what the paper says."

Her head dipped again, and he lifted her chin. "Hey, what can I do to put that pretty smile back on your face?" He leaned down to kiss her again, and when he pulled away, he was pleased to see the smile he was looking for. "There's my girl. Have you had breakfast?"

"Just some toast," she answered, pushing to her feet. "What sounds good?"

He eased her back onto the stool. "What sounds good is for you to sit there and look beautiful while I make breakfast."

"Troy…" she protested. He hushed her with a finger on her lips and grinned.

"The faster we get breakfast out of the way, the sooner we can explore our options for dessert."

Her eyebrows rose and her cheeks flamed. "In that case… I think cereal will do just fine."

...~«ώ»~...

After another round of love-making, Troy and Gabriella lounged together in bed, talking, touching, and reconnecting. They were trying to decide what to do with the rest of their day when Gabriella's phone rang from the charger beside the bed. She rolled over to retrieve it, smacking Troy's hand when he took the opportunity to pinch her backside, and frowned when she saw the name on the display. It was Sonja Ferrente from the Legal Aid office where Gabriella had worked.

"Hello?"

"Gabi? Cariño, I'm _so_ sorry to bother you today! I tried to call you yesterday, but I couldn't reach you. I couldn't think of anyone else who might help…" The older woman's words tripped over one another in her rush to explain.

"It's okay, Sonja. Just slow down and tell me what's going on." Gabriella sat up. Beside her, Troy propped his head on his hand, watching her face.

"One of our attorneys, Michael, is scheduled to represent a client in court tomorrow for a preliminary hearing, and he's come down with a bad case of the flu," Sonja told her. "It's a civil case involving neurological impairment."

Gabriella shook her head. "I wish I could help, but I have classes tomorrow. I can't cancel to make a court appearance. Can't you get a continuance?"

"No, no, I'm not asking you to go to court," Sonja corrected. "I'm going to represent the client on Michael's behalf, but you know this isn't my area of expertise. I was wondering if you could meet me this afternoon to go through Michael's notes. _¡Por favor, Gabi!_ I've known this client for a long time. It's muy importante to me."

"I don't know, Sonja," Gabriella hedged. "Troy and I planned to spend the day together…" She stopped when Troy's palm flattened on her thigh, and she looked down into his eyes.

"It's okay," he told her softly. "She wouldn't have called unless it was important."

She covered his hand gratefully and turned back to the phone. After agreeing on a meeting time and location, she hung up and lay back down next to him.

"Thank you for understanding," she told him.

"My motives are purely selfish," he teased. "I love how sexy you are when you practice law." He moved closer, but she rolled away with a giggle.

"Hold it there, stud! At this rate, we'll never make it out of bed!" She scooted to the edge of the bed and swung her legs onto the floor.

"I don't see a problem with that," he pressed, sliding over to circle an arm around her waist and kiss her shoulder. He grinned when a shiver slid through her, but surrendered when she stood and circled the bed, heading for the bathroom. She paused in the doorway and winked over her shoulder.

"I could use some help in the shower, if you're up for it," she purred.

Glancing down, he grinned. "Not a problem, babe. Not a problem at all."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella spent several hours with Sonja, combing through the case that she would present the next day. Troy used the time alone to check in on the injured players from yesterday's game and write up plans for the trainers. He also spoke briefly with Pete about Coach Sterling's conduct, and the two men agreed to meet when Troy returned to UCS.

After an impromptu dinner with Mark and Kelly, they returned home, where Gabriella rushed to grade papers for her class the next morning. By the time she fell back into bed that night, she was thoroughly worn out. Troy coaxed her onto her stomach and rubbed more ointment onto the scrapes on her legs and back, and not surprisingly, when he finished, she was fast asleep.

...~«ώ»~...

"_Gabriella!"_

Troy's body jolted awake, sweating as if he'd been seared by the heat of the car's explosion in his nightmare. He reached out to touch Gabriella, to make sure she was next to him, safe and sound, and _alive. _She was on her side facing him, and he listened to her slow, steady breaths, using them as a guide to calm his own breathing. The vividness of his dream still haunted his mind, and he moved closer to his wife, stroking a finger down her arm and then laying his hand on her rounded abdomen.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Her drowsy voice startled him, and he pulled back his hand, scolding himself for waking her.

"It's nothing," he muttered. "I'm sorry for waking you."

"Troy." She laid a hand on his chest. "'Nothing' doesn't make your heart beat that fast."

"It was just another stupid dream," Troy confessed, covering her hand and lacing their fingers together. "I'm fine." He wanted—needed—to hold her, to draw strength from her warm, soft body, but he couldn't bring himself to speak the words, to admit his vulnerability.

Gabriella shifted, nestling against him, seeming to understand the unspoken need. Her legs wove with his, her arms held him, and her head tucked under his chin so he inhaled her sweet scent. She wriggled closer so that her belly curved into his abdomen, cradling their baby between them.

Profound love and gratitude flooded Troy's senses, washing away the lingering remnants of his nightmare, and he slept peacefully the rest of the night.

...~«ώ»~...

On Monday afternoon, Troy stood when Gabriella bustled into the waiting room at Dr. Grant's office. She looked frazzled and worn, and her rumpled suit contrasted sharply with Troy's jeans and t-shirt.

"I'm _so _sorry I'm late," she began. "I had to go back for my briefcase, and then traffic was terrible…"

"Honey, slow down," Troy interrupted, gently guiding her towards a seat and then settling beside her. "The nurse said they're running a little late this afternoon, so it's not a problem." Mindful of the other patients in the waiting room, he leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. "Other than the past hour or so, how was your day?"

She smiled. "It just got a little better." He kissed her again. "Yep, definitely better."

He grinned and settled an arm across the back of her chair. She leaned forward to shrug out of her suit jacket, and Troy pulled it off of her arms.

Noting the way the fabric of her blouse clung to her rounded belly, Troy commented, "You're not going to be able to keep this pregnancy quiet much longer, sweetie."

"The secret's out," she sighed. "I got sick and had to leave the faculty meeting this morning. Dr. Heller wanted to know what was going on, so I had to tell her."

His eyebrows creased. "You were sick? You didn't say anything about it when you left this morning."

She raked her fingernails across the rough denim on his thigh. "I was okay until Dr. Walker brought in a garlic and onion bagel and sat right next to me."

Troy made a face, imagining the smell. "How did Dr. Heller react to the news?"

"She didn't say much, and I had to run off to class."

"Well, at least it's out in the open now," he pointed out. "One less thing for you to worry about."

"I guess," she demurred. "Speaking of things to worry about, did you see Dr. Gould today about your side?"

"I did," he answered with a smile. "Turns out I didn't damage any of my stitches, which she removed today. The pain in my side is from torn scar tissue. Everything's healing fine, and the soreness should be gone by the end of the week." He scratched the back of his neck. "She chewed me out for overdoing it at the game, but she couldn't fault me for what I did at the accident scene."

Gabriella leaned forward and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I take it you didn't tell her about the unauthorized sex…"

"Uh, no," he stammered. "Fortunately, she didn't ask. I never would've heard the end of it."

She drew a long breath, and her gaze dropped. "So you'll be going back to UCS on Wednesday then."

"Probably not until Friday," he corrected. "Technically my restriction is two weeks, and Dr. Gould wants to talk to Dr. Overman and Pete and check me out one more time before she releases me for good."

"What will Coach Sterling have to say about that?" she asked.

"There's not much he _can _say. It's not ideal that the trainers have to cover the practices, but they can handle it. As long as I'm at the games, we're in compliance with athletic board rules." He reached for her hand and squeezed it. "We have a road game this week, so I'll have to be there to travel with the team on Friday night, but I should be back home late Saturday."

"Good," she nodded, wanting to say more, but holding back.

Troy knew her too well. "What is it, Gabriella? Talk to me."

"Gabriella Bolton," the nurse called from the open doorway. Grateful for the interruption, Gabriella stood and followed the nurse, with Troy right behind.

...~«ώ»~...

"How have you been feeling, Gabriella?" Dr. Grant asked as she examined her.

"Better," she answered. "It's hard to explain, but it feels like I'm… settling into the pregnancy."

"That's good," Dr. Grant told her. "How's the nausea?"

"I still have a bout or two most days, but it's certainly manageable."

"Is that normal?" Troy interjected. "I thought morning sickness was supposed to be over by the second trimester."

"It is, for most women," Dr. Grant answered patiently. "But some women have it throughout their pregnancy." She glanced down at Gabriella. "Considering how bad it was in your first trimester, I'd say this is a big step in the right direction." Gabriella nodded her agreement, but Troy looked unconvinced.

"You've gained about three pounds since your last visit," the doctor went on. "Be prepared for more on your next visit. The baby will double its weight in the next month or so, and you're going to grow right along with it." She smiled. "In the next few weeks, you should also start to feel the baby move. A lot of first-time moms don't recognize the sensation right away, but as it gets stronger and more frequent, you'll know."

Gabriella clapped excitedly, and Troy grinned down at her. "Great, so everything looks good?" she asked.

"The baby seems to be doing just fine," Dr. Grant answered just as the nurse knocked on the door and handed in a folder containing Gabriella's lab results.

Gabriella sat up on the exam table and dangled her legs over the side, preparing to stand.

Dr. Grant looked up from her chart. "Hold on."

She paused to read the test results more thoroughly, and Troy's smile slipped. He realized belatedly that the doctor had only confirmed that the _baby _was okay.

"What is it?" he asked, forcing the words past his suddenly dry throat.

"Hopefully nothing," Dr. Grant answered. She flipped through Gabriella's chart, looking back over her previous notations. Finally, she looked up. "Your blood pressure is high."

Gabriella let out the breath she'd been holding. "Is that it? Don't scare us like that!" She looked between Troy and Dr. Grant before rambling on. "I'm sure it's high because of all the stress this weekend, right, Troy?" Her gaze swung to her doctor. "And today… I got sick and had to tell my boss about the pregnancy. So I'm sure that's why…" Troy laid a hand on her leg, and her argument halted.

"Those may be contributing factors," Dr. Grant allowed, "but your numbers have been climbing steadily for the past three months. I'm concerned about the possibility of gestational hypertension."

Troy frowned. "Isn't that unusual this early in the pregnancy?"

"It's not officially diagnosed until after 20 weeks," she replied. "But it's something we need to be aware of and monitor closely so we can deal with it right away."

Gabriella shook her head, unwilling to accept that she was at risk. "There's no history of hypertension in my family, on either side. I'm telling you, it's high today because of everything that happened this weekend."

"It was high in Albuquerque too," Troy pointed out gently.

She whirled to face him. "Of _course _it was high! My husband was about to have emergency surgery!"

"Hey, take it easy, sweetheart," he soothed. "We're just trying to make sure you're okay."

Dr. Grant glanced at Troy and then back at Gabriella. "How about this… We'll have Troy monitor your blood pressure at home. If it exceeds 140 over 90, I want to see you immediately." Her gaze shifted back to Troy, and he nodded in agreement.

"All right," Gabriella sighed.

"I'm serious about this, Gabriella," Dr. Grant continued sternly. "Women with gestational hypertension before 30 weeks have a fifty percent chance of developing preeclampsia."

"Is that bad for the baby?" she asked anxiously.

"It's bad for _you._ Preeclampsia causes the blood vessels to constrict, which raises your blood pressure and reduces blood flow to your organs. It _can _cause complications with your baby, but the primary concern is the mother."

Gabriella choked, and the doctor laid a reassuring hand on her arm. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm not trying to scare you. I just want you and Troy to be aware so you can watch for symptoms." She made a few more notes on the chart and then looked up. "And I want to see you again in two weeks for a blood pressure check. Are we clear?"

They nodded. As they left the office hand in hand, Gabriella could feel the tension in Troy's grip. _What had he said earlier about having less to worry about? _It seemed to her that they'd crossed one item off the list, only to add another. _How was she supposed to calm down and lower her blood pressure with news like this? _To her dismay, she realized that she had no idea.


	42. Parental Guidance

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 42—Parental Guidance**

_Troy was back at the accident scene, leaning over the unconscious driver. He was slumped over the steering wheel, and broken glass bit into Troy's arms as he leaned in the driver's window to try to stop the man's bleeding. Suddenly he heard Gabriella scream, and his body tightened in reaction. He couldn't leave the victim he was with, but he knew he had to get to her. _

_A young man appeared at his side, and Troy gratefully relinquished the victim's care to him. He dashed in the direction of where he'd heard Gabriella and leaned over the guardrail. Below, two paramedics had just emerged from behind a crushed blue car. Where was Gabriella?_ _The two men made their way up the hill, and they were nearly at the top before Troy noticed that one of them carried a small bundle. When the man approached him, Troy looked down into the face of a tiny baby._

"_Sir, are you the father of this child?" the paramedic asked._

_Troy's heart seized. "I… I don't understand. Our baby's not due for five more months." He looked around frantically. "Where's my wife? I need to see her!"_

_The other man glanced down into the ravine and shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, sir. We… couldn't save her. We delivered the baby, or it would've died with her."_

"_Died?" Troy choked. "There must be some mistake…" Blood pounded in his ears and he sunk to his knees, unable to breath. Gabriella was gone?_ _It was impossible… A guttural cry filled the air, and he covered his ears to block out the sound. Until he realized he was the one who was screaming…_

Troy's body jerked, waking him and rescuing him from the despair of his nightmare. His body was drenched with sweat, and his heart felt like it might pound through his chest. He looked over to see that Gabriella was sleeping beside him, and he released a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. He fought the urge to grab her and crush her against his chest, to feel her warm skin and beating heart and know that she was alive and well. Instead, he sat still and watched the rise and fall of her chest and the soft fluttering of her eyelids as she dreamed. When he was finally able to convince himself that she was truly all right, he threw off the covers, pulled on a t-shirt, and padded into the kitchen.

He opened the refrigerator and pulled out a water bottle and then, still shaking and wet with sweat, he unlocked the back door and went outside. There, he settled on the back steps, took a long swallow of water, and stared up into the night sky. _What's wrong with me? _he wondered. Thoughts jumbled and swirled in his mind, and he had no idea how much time had passed when he heard the screen door open behind him. A moment later, Gabriella sat next to him, looking sleepy and adorably rumpled. A long moment of silence hung between them before she spoke.

"Do you want to tell me what's got you up at 2:30 in the morning?" She ran a gentle hand through his damp hair. "Did you have another nightmare?"

Troy cleared his throat, not wanting to expose his muddled emotions. "Yeah."

"About the accident?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, staring out across the dark yard.

"Tell me about it," she urged, slipping her hand into his.

He shook his head. _No way._

"Troy, come on," she pressed. "Why is the accident bothering you so much? Everyone survived, apart from the driver of the van, and there was nothing you could've done to save him."

_Everyone survived_, his mind echoed. Not the way _he'd_ been dreaming it. Realizing that she was waiting for an answer, he turned to look at her.

"I don't know, I guess it's because I felt so… helpless and… overwhelmed." That part was true, but he knew that wasn't really why he was having nightmares.

Gabriella's brow furrowed thoughtfully. "There's more to it than that."

He considered lying, telling her something, anything that would throw her off the trail. But then he looked down into the dark pools of her eyes and knew he couldn't lie to her. They'd had enough hurt feelings and misunderstandings between them for the past few days.

"I'm… I'm worried about you," he admitted quietly. "And it's manifesting itself in my dreams. The accident scene is the same, just like it was on Saturday night, but the ending is different. It's… it's you, getting… hurt… and I can't do anything to stop it."

She laughed softly. "You're protective of me, even in your dreams."

"I'm serious, Gabriella," he insisted. "I… I don't know what I'd do if…" His voice cracked. "If I lost you."

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere," she assured him. "We've got a baby to raise together. Everything will be fine."

"Did you not hear what Dr. Grant said?" Troy asked, his voice edged with frustration. "You're facing the possibility of some pretty serious health problems."

"The _possibility, _not the certainty," she replied calmly.

"Don't argue over semantics," he shot back. "Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia are dangerous, potentially _fatal, _conditions that can only be resolved by delivering the baby. Which means that either they induce the baby prematurely—_very _prematurely—or you endure months of total bed rest or even hospitalization."

She scooted away from him, and the night air chilled his arm where she'd been leaning. When she spoke, there was no way to miss the hurt in her voice.

"I get it, Troy. But I need to lower my blood pressure, and talk like that is not helping. What about you? You had emergency surgery just over a week ago, you tore your scar tissue, and you're missing more time at the hospital and with the team at UCS. If we're going to worry about something, then let's go with that."

He reached over to stroke her thigh. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I guess I didn't think about it affecting you so much."

She turned toward him, her eyes full of intensity. "Of _course _it affects me, Troy. Do you think I don't worry about you? I was scared to death of losing you in Santa Fe. And that accident scene… what if that had been _you, _driving home from Sacramento?_"_

Her voice wavered and he scooted closer, slipping his arm around her waist and tucking her into his side.

"Now you're the one talking about possibilities," he pointed out gently. "You _didn't _lose me in Santa Fe. I _wasn't _in that accident. I'm healing just fine, and the time I'm missing can be made up." As he spoke, he slid his hand under her hair to massage the back of her neck, knowing it would relax her. "But like you said, we have a baby to raise together, and I want to do everything I can to make sure you and our son or daughter get through this pregnancy as smoothly as possible."

She couldn't argue that point. His concern for their unborn child touched her deeply. She snuggled closer to him, and the tension seemed to drain out of her as she enjoyed his tender embrace. They sat in silence for a few moments, each lost in their own thoughts.

When she turned to look at him, she saw that his face was still tensed with worry. Pushing to her feet, she turned and straddled his lap, smiling mischievously. "You know, since we're both up, I can think of a really good way to relieve some stress…" Her arms wrapped around his neck, drawing him closer, and her fingers tunneled into his hair. She kissed him softly, waiting to see how he would react.

"You have to work tomorrow," he reminded her as he leaned close to nip at the sensitive spot behind her ear.

"Nick will start the class if I'm late," she murmured.

Troy momentarily bristled at the mention of Nick's name, but he quickly recovered when Gabriella wriggled her hips against his rapidly growing erection.

"I'll have to send Nick a thank you note," he breathed against her neck. His stubbly jaw slid across her smooth skin, and she moaned softly. Without another word, he lifted her in his arms and carried her back to bed.

…..~«ώ»~…..

On Friday morning, Gabriella rushed through her morning routine, knowing that by the time she got home from work, Troy would be gone. He would be driving to Sacramento that afternoon to fly with the football team to their game in Las Vegas on Saturday. Though he would only be gone a couple of days, she wanted to give him a proper goodbye, but she couldn't be late to work for the second time that week. After putting the finishing touches on her make-up, she stepped into her heels and grabbed her earrings off the dresser. Her earrings went in as she walked to the kitchen to find Troy sitting at the island, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. He'd gotten up while she was in the shower and, wisely, had gotten out of her way as she dressed hurriedly.

"Good morning, gorgeous," he greeted with a wink.

Gabriella stood and stared, not sure if she was more turned on by Troy's bare chest and boxers or the coffee that she wasn't allowed to drink during her pregnancy. "Morning," she finally replied, snapping herself out of it and moving forward to kiss him. Instead of the quick peck he'd obviously expected, she pushed her tongue between his parted lips and into his mouth. He indulged her for a few moments, enjoying the kiss, and then took hold of her shoulders and moved her away.

"Whoa, hold on there, sweetie," he protested. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that all about?" She gazed longingly toward his right arm, and he followed her eyes to his coffee cup on the counter. "Oh, I see. Craving coffee again, huh?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I can taste it in your mouth…" She leaned toward him again, but Troy held her at bay.

"As much as I'd love to share my coffee with you that way, I think it's best that we don't start something we can't finish. I don't want you to be late again." Her face fell into a cute pout, and he chuckled. "Hey, but I poured some orange juice and made a breakfast sandwich for you to eat on the road."

Gabriella knew he was right, but that didn't mean she liked it. "Thanks, Troy." She looked at the kitchen clock and grimaced. "Be sure to send me your flight number and hotel information when you get to Sacramento, okay?"

"I will," he promised, spanning her waist with his hands to pull her between his legs. "I'll see you late tomorrow night. Don't wait up for me—you need to get your rest. Kelly will be over sometime tomorrow to check your blood pressure…"

"I know," she interjected. "We have a whole day planned, just us girls."

"Don't overdo it," he warned.

"I won't. And _you _don't overdo it either, Dr. Bolton." She draped her arms over his shoulders and rested her forehead against his. "Have a safe trip and call me when you get to the hotel tonight. I love you."

He kissed her softly. "I won't overdo it, and I'll see you tomorrow night. Have a good day." He glanced at the clock. "I love you… now get out of here!"

...~«ώ»~...

As soon as Troy got settled in his hotel room, he pulled out his phone and called Gabriella, smiling as soon as he heard her voice.

"Hi," she began. "How was your flight?"

"It was fine. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, Troy."

"I want you to take it easy this weekend, all right? Will you do that for me?"

She laughed softly. "Then what would you have to worry about?"

"Hey, there are worse things than having a man who loves you and cares about your well-being."

"I know," she admitted, her teasing tone gone. "Like being 500 miles apart."

"Aw, sweetheart, I miss you too," he murmured. "But I'll be back home tomorrow night."

Troy kicked his shoes off and started to lie down on the bed, but a knock sounded at the door.

"Honey, can you hold on a minute? There's somebody at my door."

He padded over and looked through the peephole, nearly dropping the phone when he saw who was there. He yanked the door open and stared in disbelief.

"Dad! What are you doing here?"

Jack Bolton laughed heartily. "What do you think I'm doing here, Son? I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd catch the game tomorrow."

"In the neighborhood?" Troy challenged. "We're 600 miles from Albuquerque!"

Jack put up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, I admit it. I wanted to see you, and the game was a good excuse to come."

Troy glanced over Jack's shoulder. "Is Mom here with you?"

"Nope, just us guys this weekend," Jack answered. "But she _has _ordered me to get a full report on your post-surgical healing."

Troy laughed. "Yep, that sounds just like Mom." He chewed on his bottom lip thoughtfully. "I should probably go check with Pete and see if I can get you into the game. I'm think he said it's sold out."

Jack waved off his concern. "I've already spoken to Pete, and he's made all the arrangements."

"Pete knew you were coming?" Troy asked incredulously. "Who else…?" He suddenly remembered the phone in his hand, and put it back to his ear. "Gabriella?"

"Surprise," she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

"I'm going to get you for this," he told her mock-sternly.

"I'm counting on it," she giggled. "Have a great time, babe. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Troy turned away from his dad and his voice softened. "Okay. I love you, beautiful. Good night."

Troy ended the call and pulled Jack into a hug. "It's great to see you, Dad."

"Great to see you too," Jack replied. "I hope you don't mind bunking with your old man for a couple nights."

Troy's brow furrowed. "A couple of nights? We're supposed to fly back to Sacramento tomorrow after the game."

"Pete changed your plane ticket to Sunday, and Gabriella added an extra night for the room," Jack explained. "With all the responsibilities you have before and after the game, our time together will be limited, and she said you needed some time to relax."

Father and son made small talk as Jack explored the spacious hotel room. Troy flopped onto the bed and soon Jack followed suit, groaning as he lowered himself onto the other bed.

Jack lifted his head to study his son. "How's the recovery going?"

"I still have some pain in my side, but it's getting better every day," Troy told him. "Dr. Gould released me from medical leave yesterday, but I still need to take it easy until that scar tissue heals."

"That's good," Jack replied with a wink. "I hope you do a better job of 'taking it easy' this weekend than you did last weekend."

"Gabriella ratted me out," Troy realized.

Jack chuckled. "Not exactly. She told your mom about the accident."

Troy inwardly cringed at the mention of the accident. His nightmares hadn't subsided, and his thoughts immediately went to the imagined outcomes that were so much worse than the actual events. He cleared his throat. "To be honest, I'm not sure if I should spend an extra day away from her."

Jack looked at Troy intently, his concern evident. "Why? Is she sick? Is something wrong with the baby?"

Troy's hand plowed through his hair. "Her blood pressure is high, and the doctor is worried about the possibility of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia."

"Oh, man," Jack tensed visibly. "What comes next? How are they going to fix it?"

"Dr. Grant is monitoring her closely, but it can't really be fixed except by delivering the baby." He met his father's gaze. "I'm worried about her, Dad."

Jack swung his legs over the side of the bed and reached across to squeeze Troy's shoulder. "It must be hard to be away from her."

Troy nodded grimly. "It is. Mark and Kelly are keeping an eye on her while I'm gone, but I feel guilty that I'm not there to take care of her myself."

"I know you want to take care of her, but you also have a responsibility to this team," Jack pointed out. "Gabriella understands how important this field assignment is for your career." Troy nodded again, and Jack sighed. "If you want to go home with the team tomorrow after the game, I understand."

Troy chewed on his lip nervously. He knew Gabriella was in good hands with Mark and Kelly, but he would feel better if he was there to see for himself that she was all right. On the other hand, he hadn't had many opportunities during his medical training to spend time with his dad. He forced a grin.

"What's the matter? Are you afraid I can still beat you at one-on-one while I'm healing from surgery?"

Jack laughed. "In your dreams." He ruffled his son's hair, just like when Troy was a little boy. "Everything will be okay, Son. I really believe that."

"Thanks, Dad. I'm glad you're here."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy rose early the next morning to get in a workout at the hotel's gym before the team bus left for the football stadium. He thought he'd managed to leave the room without waking his dad, but he'd barely settled into a rhythm on the treadmill when Jack strode into the room.

"Morning, Son," Jack greeted with a wave.

"Hey, Dad. How'd you sleep?"

Jack shrugged as he stepped onto the treadmill next to Troy. "I can never sleep as good when your mom isn't beside me. You've been married long enough to know what that's like, especially with all the traveling you've been doing."

Troy's smile faltered. He'd slept like a log. When had he gotten _used to_ sleeping alone? Had Gabriella adjusted to sleeping without him? His heart seized painfully. It'd been only a few months since their second honeymoon in Hawaii, since they'd discovered they were having a baby. They'd been so close then. How had things gone so wrong so quickly? He thought back to Gabriella's tearful words the previous weekend. _It's like we're leading separate lives. _He hadn't given it much thought then, but now the reality smacked him hard. She'd been right. He was in Las Vegas, 500 miles away from her, yet she hadn't complained about it—she'd unselfishly given him more time to spend with his dad.

"…What do you think, Troy?" Jack's voice broke Troy out of his reverie.

"Um… about what?"

Jack chuckled. "Almost 29 years old, and you _still _don't listen to your father." He ducked away from the towel Troy threw at him. "I was offering suggestions about what we could do tonight after the game. Obviously none of them particularly caught your interest."

"Sorry, Dad. I was thinking about Gabriella."

Jack grinned knowingly. "Remember what I always tell the team? If you have time to think…"

"…you need to step up your workout," Troy finished for him. "What about you? Grandma Bolton could run faster than that!"

"If she heard you say that, she'd take you over her knee," Jack threatened.

"Oh, I'm so scared," Troy teased, warmed by the familiar rapport that he and his father had always shared. "I don't think Grandma has ever laid an angry hand on me in her life. Now, _Mom, _on the other hand… to tell you the truth, I'm still a little afraid of her."

Jack leaned forward conspiratorially. "Me too, Son. Me too." He reached over to reset Troy's display, and then cleared his own. "Now, come on. Last one to five miles buys dinner tonight."

Troy nudged up the treadmill's speed control. "Two words for you, Dad. Game on."

...~«ώ»~...

Later that morning, Gabriella yanked the front door and hugged her best friend. "Kelly! It's great to see you!"

Kelly laughed at her enthusiasm. "It's good to see you too, Gabi. How are you feeling?"

"I feel good," Gabriella told her. "Is Mark working today?"

"No, but he's having some buddies over to watch college football all day. The benefit of spending the day with you is that I can get away from those smelly, disgusting guys."

"Your husband is one of those guys," Gabriella pointed out as she gestured for Kelly to come in and shut the door.

"Mark's not bad. It's mostly his friends that get on my nerves. Especially Steve and Lee. Remember them from our wedding? Neither is married, and the way they act around women, neither of them is likely to marry anytime soon. Ugh, I'd rather get a root canal than watch football all day with them."

Gabriella bit her lip. "I, uh… I was hoping to watch the UCS game today…"

Realizing her friend had misunderstood, Kelly squeezed her arm. "I don't mind watching the game with _you_, just as long as you don't burp or crush beer cans on your head." They both laughed. "Plus, I haven't gotten to see Troy in action yet. I bet he's really good at his job."

"He is," Gabriella beamed. "It's easy to see that he's in his element."

"Speaking of Troy, we might as well get this over with." Kelly pulled a blood pressure cuff out of her bag and Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Come on, now. Don't be a problem patient. You know that Troy gave me strict orders to monitor your numbers while he's gone."

"I know, I know," Gabriella sighed. She flopped down on one of the living room chairs and offered her arm gamely. "Jack has probably told him by now that they're staying over until tomorrow, so I'm sure he's worrying about that."

Kelly looked up from where she'd been adjusting the cuff. "He _is _worried, and based on your latest OB visit, I'd say he's not too far off base. Pregnancy complications should never be taken lightly."

"I'm not taking them lightly," Gabriella argued. "I just think it's silly to worry about things that may or may not happen. Honestly, I think he's overreacting."

Kelly fell silent while she listened through her stethoscope and then released the pressure on the cuff. "Well, Gabi, he's a guy. Guys like to fix things. And he's a doctor. Doctors like to fix people. It's not such a bad thing to have him fussing over you. By monitoring your condition, he'll know when there are changes that could signal onset of complications."

"He's had a lot on his mind this week, and I think he's holding back because he doesn't want to worry me. I know that part of it has to do with the job at UCS, so when Jack called about going to the game, I made the arrangements for him. Hopefully together they'll figure things out."

"That was so sweet of you to do that, Gabi. I bet he was really surprised."

"He was," Gabriella confirmed. "I was on the phone with him when Jack got to the hotel room, so I got to hear the whole thing."

Kelly pushed herself up from the floor where she'd been kneeling and took a seat on the sofa. "All right, since you've passed your first blood pressure test of the day, what would you like to do until the game starts? I brought some chick flicks, a couple of games, and… ooh, brownie mix!"

Gabriella clapped her hands excitedly. "Definitely the brownies! I could use a good chocolate fix, and we can chat while we're waiting for them to bake."

"Sounds like a plan," Kelly laughed. "Chocolate, here we come!"

...~«ώ»~...

"Nice of you to grace us with your presence, Bolton," Coach Sterling muttered as Troy walked in to the staff meeting at the UNLV stadium. The coaches had flown to Las Vegas on Friday morning to watch their opponent's practice, so Troy hadn't seen him since the previous weekend. "I hope you enjoyed your little vacation."

"It's good to have you back with us," Pete greeted from his seat at the conference table. "I trust that you're fit and ready for the game today?"

"Yes, sir," Troy answered as he pulled out a chair next to the athletic trainers. Matt greeted him warmly, but Jamie simply turned to look the other way. He knew he still needed to talk to her after what had happened the previous weekend, but his main priority was hashing things out with Coach Sterling.

"Okay, let's get started," Coach Sterling said briskly as he passed a stack of papers around the table. "This is the updated version of our active roster."

"Whoa!" Troy interjected, staring at the list in his hand. "There are injured players on here that I haven't cleared!"

"Well, what do you expect, Bolton?" the coach snarled. "You haven't been around, so you don't know whether they're ready to play or not. _I _say they're ready."

"Parker dislocated his shoulder last week!" Troy argued. "There's no way he should be out on that field! And Atkins—he's still recovering from a concussion. Did you make sure he was fit to practice?"

Sterling shook his head. "Not my job."

"The hell it's not!" Troy slammed his fist on the table, and the assistant coaches looked around nervously.

"Gentlemen," Pete interrupted sharply. "Let's not waste everyone's time here. Move on to the next topic and the three of us will discuss the injury list after the meeting."

"Yes, sir," Troy muttered. Sterling shot him a withering look and then continued on with the meeting. Troy barely heard the coach's words, though—he was fuming over the coach's arrogance. Despite being home the past week, Troy had been in regular contact with Matt, and he knew how the injured players were doing.

When Coach Sterling finished, Pete Massey leaned forward, tenting his fingers together. "Just to make you all aware, a candidate we've interviewed for the permanent team physician job will be on the sidelines with us today. He lives here in Las Vegas and asked if he could observe the team up close."

_Great, _Troy said to himself. Just what he needed—a big-shot team physician looking over his shoulder the whole game. He knew that Pete had begun to interview candidates to take over as team physician once Troy's field assignment was done, but he wished that he didn't have to deal with that on top of everything else at the game. It would be televised nationally… all he needed was to lose focus and make a mistake.

He looked up when Matt slid a folded piece of paper toward him. Opening it, he read the note: _Candidate for the job? Thought Pete already promised it to you. _Troy looked around cautiously and then scribbled his response: _I'm on the list of candidates. Even if he plans to offer me the job, he has to go through the process. _He refolded the paper and slid it back to Matt, who opened it, read it, and nodded in understanding.

"The players should be here by now," Sterling concluded, glancing at his watch. "Practice begins in one hour. Meeting adjourned."

The trainers and assistant coaches filed out, leaving Troy, Sterling, and Pete in the room. Troy pulled out his phone to access the players' injury reports that Matt had sent him all week.

"Can we make this quick?" Sterling barked. "I have a new game plan to go over with my captains."

Pete nodded and looked over at Troy. "Dr. Bolton, I appreciate your concern for the players' well-being, but in this case, I must agree with Coach Sterling. You can't really speak accurately about their conditions when you haven't seen them in a week."

"Matt has seen them every day this week, and he agrees with me," Troy argued. "If you'll just take a few minutes to read through his notes…"

Sterling rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for this. Look, I've been coaching longer than those trainers have been alive, and I think I can tell whether a player is physically able to perform."

"What about the dislocated shoulder I mentioned?" Troy pressed. "Standard recovery time is six weeks, and you've barely given him six _days!_"

Pete leaned forward. "Okay, Parker is out." He raised a hand to halt Sterling's protest. "Dr. Bolton, are there any other players on the list who absolutely should not play? I'm not talking about skinned knees or bumps on the head. I mean broken bones or serious trauma."

Troy gritted his teeth, angry at Pete's uncharacteristic lack of support. "Pete I really don't think it's a good idea…"

Pete stopped him. "Yes or no? It's a simple answer."

Troy hesitated, trying desperately to think of any major medical complication that could come from the remaining players' minor injuries. Finally he shook his head.

"Okay then, the matter is settled," Pete announced. Sterling strutted out of the room, and Troy quickly gathered his things. "I'm sorry, Troy," Pete told him. "He had me on that one. If you want to discuss…"

Troy was too angry to discuss anything just then, so he simply headed for the door. "If you'll excuse me, sir, I have players to attend to."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy stood on the visiting team's sideline waiting for the game to start. UNLV was the biggest team UCS had played on the road so far that season, and it was difficult not to be intimidated by their enormous stadium and screaming fans. The desert sun reflected off the artificial turf, making the air feel hotter, especially in the heat of the afternoon.

"Hey, Matt," Troy called to the nearby trainer. "We need to keep plenty of water in these guys or they're going to start dropping like flies."

"Got it, Troy," Matt answered with a wave and jogged over to a player who needed his hand rewrapped.

Troy looked around and spotted Jamie at the other end of the bench and strode towards her.

"Jamie, we need to keep a close eye on the guys, make sure they don't get dehydrated. Between the heat and the elevation…"

"This is not my first road game," Jamie snarled. "I've been at this longer than you have, so how about if you just do your job and let me do mine." She started to stalk away, but Troy grabbed her arm.

"This _is _my job, and when I ask you to do something, you do it and keep your opinions to yourself. Is that clear?"

Jamie's gaze dropped to her feet. "Yes, sir."

"Thank you," Troy answered, releasing her arm. "Look, Jamie, I'm sorry about what happened last weekend with Gabriella. Sterling is playing some kind of messed up game with us, and you got caught in the middle. He told Gabriella that there was something going on between you and me, and then during the game, he baited us to make it look like it was true."

"Bastard," Jamie muttered. She looked up, and Troy saw pain in her eyes. "Coach has been awful this week. Usually he just ignores me, but it feels like he's going out of his way to push my buttons."

Troy nodded. "Pete called him in for a meeting about all this, and it apparently didn't go well. He's being rude to me, and even Pete is acting different."

Jamie glanced around and then leaned closer. "Something's up, Troy. Something big. I can't put my finger on it, but I feel like the you-know-what's about to hit the fan."

A player approached Troy for assistance then, and Jamie slipped away quietly. Troy watched her go as he thought about her words. Something _was _up, and what scared him most was that he had absolutely no idea how to stop it.

...~«ώ»~...

Kelly and Gabriella were settled on the sofa with enough food between them to feed a small army. The second half of the game was about to start, but since neither of them was interested in the commentary, they had the television muted so they could talk.

"I really want to get back into yoga," Gabriella was saying. "I wasn't allowed to do it for six weeks after my surgeries, and by then, I was pregnant."

"That could really help with your stress level," Kelly nodded. "You should look into prenatal yoga. You can do it right up until your due date…"

"There's Troy!" Gabriella suddenly exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the screen. The teams were jogging back onto the field, and behind them were the trainers and coaching staff. They'd caught brief glimpses of Troy on the sideline during the first half of the game, but now the cameraman tracked the staff all the way to their sideline positions. Kelly nudged Gabriella in the side.

"How cool is that, seeing your hubby on national television?"

"He looks so _good,_" Gabriella breathed. "Doesn't he?"

Kelly laughed. "I'm glad Mark's not here to hear this, but yeah, he looks _damn _good!"

When Troy passed directly in front of the camera, he gave a quick wink and wave. Gabriella's heart skipped a beat, and Kelly shrieked.

"Did you see that? Gabi, that was for _you!_" Gabriella beamed with pride, and when the shot cut away, Kelly fanned herself with her hand. "That was so cool! I don't think I've ever met a guy so besotted with his wife."

Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "_Besotted?"_

"It's a word!" Kelly argued.

"I know it's a word," Gabriella replied with a teasing grin. "I've just never heard you use it before."

Kelly crossed her arms in mock-indignation. "Well, it's not like it comes up in normal, everyday conversation!"

"Then you must not spend too much time around besotted men," Gabriella laughed. "What about Mark? You two are still newlyweds."

"Yeah, but Mark is… Mark. He loves me, sure, but he doesn't sing me love songs, or buy me romantic jewelry with secret Hawaiian words, or whisk me off on romantic weekend getaways."

"Mark has come a long way since college," Gabriella argued. "Back then, he could've been the poster boy for how _not _to romance a woman."

That made Kelly laugh. "Okay, I'll be thankful for what I've got. He may make me crazy from time to time, but he's got a great heart."

Gabriella giggled with her and then gestured towards the screen, where the team was lining up for the second half kickoff. "Here we go!"

UNLV's punter launched the ball down the field, and when one of the UCS receivers caught it, the guards rushed to cover him. He ran about fifteen yards before he was tackled, and the crowd cheered. A few moments later, though, the camera zoomed in on a UCS player who was down on the field.

"What happened?" Kelly asked. "Did you see him get hit?"

Gabriella shook her head, watching intently. The player wasn't moving, and Troy and the trainers ran out onto the field. An instant replay appeared on the screen, showing the tackle that had brought down the young man.

"Whoa," Kelly muttered. "That's bad, Gabi. Look at the way he fell. It looks like he was unconscious before he even hit the ground."

Gabriella didn't answer, but leaned forward, wringing her hands together. The live picture returned to the motionless player. Troy bent over him on one side, Matt on the other, and Jamie above his head, holding it steady. The other UCS teammates gathered in a small circle nearby, watching and waiting, and the crowd watched silently. Troy must have called for a field ambulance—the modified golf cart sped onto the field, and the women could see Troy gesturing and talking with the paramedics. With his help, they rolled the player onto a board, strapped him down, and loaded him onto the transport. Troy shouted instructions to the trainers, and they returned to the sideline while he rode out with the paramedics.

...~«ώ»~...

Jack followed Troy into the hotel room and got out of the way as Troy threw his hat, kicked off his shoes, and angrily stripped off his red polo shirt. Jack knew something had happened between Troy and Coach Sterling after the game, but Troy had ridden back to the hotel in silence, steaming up the window of the team bus as he tried to get his emotions under control. Finally, Troy ran out of things to throw and collapsed onto his bed, draping his arm over his face.

"Son?" Jack prompted.

"That kid that got hurt—Atkins? He shouldn't have been on the field today," Troy told him. "He sustained a concussion in the preseason, and I wanted him to sit out another week or two."

Jack frowned. That wasn't what he'd been expecting. "If he wasn't ready, why did you clear him to play?"

"I didn't!" Troy nearly shouted. "Sterling moved him off the injury list while I was gone this week. I tried to pull him before the game, but Pete wouldn't listen. _Now _look at him—he has another concussion and is out for the season!"

"Troy, if you didn't clear him, then it's not your fault that he got hurt, so why are you so upset?"

"Because no matter whose fault it is, the bottom line is, the kid got hurt, and he shouldn't have. Ultimately, I'm responsible," Troy argued.

Jack shook his head. "I don't understand how Sterling's mind works. I've coached for years, and I would _never _presume to know more about a player's health than my team doctor. When in doubt, you always err on the side of caution."

"I know," Troy agreed, running a hand through his hair. "I know he's been coaching forever, but damn it, _I'm_ the one with the medical degree. How can I do my job when he's pulling rank on me like that? And what the hell happened to Pete? He's been supporting me all along, and now all of a sudden he's letting Sterling run the show!"

"College athletics are a tricky business," Jack mused. "A lot of funding comes from athletic boosters and alumni, and all too often, the ones with the big wallets are also the ones with the big opinions. Maybe Pete's catching heat from them. Coach Sterling, for better or worse, is an institution there, and he's got a lot of folks behind him."

Troy eyed him thoughtfully. "Is that why you never made the jump to coaching college ball? I know you've had offers."

"Partly," Jack confessed. His lips twisted thoughtfully. "It was always my dream to coach my son. Winning back-to-back championships was icing on the cake." Father and son exchanged a warm look, and Jack drew a deep breath. "It's a tough gig, Son. Long seasons, lots of travel. If you work with a pro team, it's even worse. I got my first college offer when you were about ten. I thought about it. Hard. Your mom and I went round and round, trying to figure out what was best for us as a family. When it came down to it, I didn't want to uproot my family and move across the country, or split my time and be a part-time father. Yeah, we would've had more money and I might've had a more accomplished career, but ultimately, I chose you and your mom. And I've never regretted that decision."

Troy was completely dumbstruck. "Wow, Dad, I had no idea…" He sat up and scrubbed his face. "But we're talking about two different things here. You're a coach; I'm a doctor. My team responsibilities aren't the same as what yours would have been." He stood and began to pace. "I hate how confusing this is. I'm supposed to interview for the permanent position at UCS this week, and I can't figure out what I want. I mean, Gabriella and the baby, they come first. That's a no-brainer. She and I have talked about moving to Sacramento… Pete's looking into getting her a position at Lincoln Law School. And I've been studying and training and working for almost ten years to get to here. How can I pass up a shot like this?"

Jack nodded silently, waiting for him to continue.

"But I also want to finish my surgical residency," he went on. "Being a team physician is… awesome… but I can't begin to tell you what it feels like to improve a patient's quality of life. To put a kid back on the court or the field and give them a shot at greatness. It's incredible." He raised his hand to touch the pendant that hung around his neck. "And I want to be there for Gabriella and our family. Not part of the week, not on weekends when there isn't a game, but all the time." He stopped in front of the window and stared out. "She means everything to me, Dad. Whatever I do, whatever I accomplish, it doesn't matter unless she's beside me. That's why I followed her to California. Nothing I did at U of A would've meant anything to me without her." His throat was thickening, and he cleared it before continuing. "I love my job, but I hate being away from her. I worry about her all the time, and I know it'll be ten times worse after the baby's born." His voice dropped. "And the distance, the time apart, is starting to have an effect on our marriage."

Jack stood, walked over to where Troy was standing, and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Have you told Gabriella everything that you just told me?" Troy shook his head. "Son, I know you want to protect her, but marriage is an equal partnership, and you need to go into this interview, this decision, with all the cards on the table. Instead of trying to figure out what Gabriella thinks about all this, _ask her_. Yes, she's having a difficult pregnancy, and I know that's scaring you, but she's still a rational, logical, _smart _woman who deserves to be involved in your decision."

Troy swiped at his eyes, the stress of the past several weeks catching up with him along with the simple truth of his father's words. "I… uh… I think I'm going to take a shower," he choked out.

"One more thing, Troy," Jack replied. "You're feeling torn now, and that's normal. But when the time comes, when it gets right down to making your decision, you'll know. Trust me."

"Thanks, Dad," Troy whispered, pulling him into a hug.

When they separated, Jack grinned at his son. "Now, get in there and get your shower, because frankly, you stink, and besides that, I'm starving."

"Yes, sir," Troy chuckled. He turned and retreated into the bathroom. "See, Dad? And you say I never listen!"


	43. Long Distance

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 43—Long Distance**

Late Sunday afternoon, Gabriella stood in front of the stove, humming as she stirred the melted chocolate in the double boiler. Chocolate-covered strawberries were among Troy's favorite desserts, and after missing him all weekend, she wanted to do something special for him. She smiled to herself. Okay, something special for _both _of them,since chocolate and strawberries were well-known aphrodisiacs. Glancing at the kitchen clock for probably the hundredth time, she started dipping strawberries, hoping to finish before Troy got home. He'd called when his flight had landed in Sacramento and told her that he'd be on the road within half an hour.

She'd just laid the last dipped strawberry on the waxed paper when she heard the front door close, and by the time she grabbed a towel and wiped her hands, there he was, filling the doorway and smiling broadly. Closing the distance between them, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She slid her arms around his waist and pressed her face against his chest, breathing him in.

"I missed you so much," he murmured into her hair.

"I missed you too," she sighed contentedly. "I'm glad you're home." She tried to pull back to look up at him, but he held onto her, obviously not quite ready to let go.

He finally loosened his embrace, palmed her cheek and bent his head to kiss her tenderly. When their lips separated, he studied her face and chuckled.

"What?" she asked, confused by his sudden change in demeanor.

"You have a little spot of chocolate here," he told her, pointing to the side of her nose. "It's cute." Nevertheless, he wiped it off for her and then kissed the tip of her nose. He glanced around the kitchen and grinned. "Chocolate-covered strawberries?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Baby, I like the way you think!"

"Want a sample? The chocolate's still warm." She took a step toward the counter, but he halted her.

"Let me." He retrieved a large strawberry and returned to stand in front of her. He offered the fruit to her, and she took a bite. Then, as was their longtime ritual, he ate the rest of strawberry. "Delicious." He moved to sit on one of the island stools and slid an arm around her waist to pull her close. "How are you feeling?"

"I underwent the mandatory blood pressure check this morning," she teased. "Kelly said I passed with flying colors."

He visibly relaxed and smiled at her, stroking a finger across her cheek.

"More chocolate?" she guessed.

"Nope. Just glad to see you."

"It's only been two days," she reminded him with a smile.

"Yeah, but I'll be gone longer this week," he answered. "Unfortunately, my interview for the job is Tuesday morning."

Her eyebrow arched. "Which is the 'unfortunate' part? Going to UCS a day earlier, or having the job interview?"

"Leaving early," he told her. "Well, and maybe the interview, a little bit. It's just… the timing's bad."

"Didn't they already interview the other candidates while you were on leave from your surgery?"

"Yeah. One of the candidates was even on the sideline on Saturday." He scratched the back of his neck. "I just… I feel kind of up in the air about all of this. I wish I had more time to figure it out."

"I was hoping your dad would help with that," she admitted.

Troy nodded. "He did, but I want to talk it over with you too. It affects both of us, you know."

Gabriella reached out to stroke his stubbly cheek. "I'd like that."

"Good." He pulled back a bit to lay a hand on her stomach. "How's the little one doing?"

"Still likes to make Mommy nauseous from time to time. This morning was a little rough." His worried face settled back into place, and she immediately regretted the confession. "I feel fine now, really."

"Do you feel up to a nice dinner tonight? I want to take you out as a thank you for this weekend. It was really great to spend time with Dad."

"I'm really glad you enjoyed it." she smiled mischievously. "As for dinner tonight… how about if we stay in?" She slid a hand up his thigh and around to his backside. "Maybe you could find some other ways to thank me."

He grinned broadly. "I don't know if I can think of anything. It might take hours…"

"Troy Bolton, that's the best news I've heard all day."

…..~«ώ»~…..

Tuesday morning, Gabriella dressed for work and then went to the kitchen to fix breakfast. She was feeling a bit nauseous and didn't want to eat much, but she scrambled some eggs and made coffee for Troy. She was staring longingly at the coffee pot when Troy walked into the kitchen, dressed in a dark charcoal suit, white dress shirt, and black tie.

"Wow," she breathed, forgetting the coffee and moving towards him. "Troy, you look so handsome!"

He laughed. "You don't have to sound so surprised!"

"That's not what I meant," she argued, slapping his chest. "I don't get to see you dressed up like this very often. You look _good_."

"Thanks, honey." His eyes swept down her body, taking in her plum skirt and matching embellished jacket. A ribbon tied just under her breasts allowed her cropped jacket to flare open to make room for her growing belly. "You look absolutely gorgeous as usual."

"Stop it," she argued, running a hand over her stomach. "Now that I don't have to hide the pregnancy anymore, I feel like I've suddenly doubled in size." Her gaze dropped, and she pulled the sides of her jacket together.

"Hold it right there." Troy palmed her cheek tenderly. "Sweetheart, there's nothing more beautiful than the woman I love and the baby we made wrapped up in one adorable package."

He leaned in to kiss her, and when they separated, Gabriella moaned in frustration. "Troy, you shouldn't say things like that right before you leave for five days! You're starting something you won't be around to finish!"

He laughed and pulled her into his arms. "That's another thing I love about you being pregnant—your insatiable desires. To be honest, it kind of makes me feel like a rock star!"

"Well, Mr. Rock Star, you need to get to your interview, and I need to get to school." Despite her words, though, she held onto him, not quite ready to let him go.

"Maybe I should skip my interview and finish what I started," he teased.

"Now you're just being mean," she sighed, forcing herself away from him. "Go on, get out of here."

"Okay, okay, I'm going." Troy slid his arm around her waist and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. She raised her lips in invitation, but he pulled back with a frown, laying his hand where his lips had just been. "You feel a little warm. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she answered with an eye roll. "It's _your _fault for getting me all worked up."

He took in her flushed cheeks and realized that she was probably right. "I'm sorry, baby. Are you ready to go? I need to grab my suitcase, but I'll walk you out first."

She nodded and grabbed her lunch bag from the counter before heading for the front door. Troy followed her, picking up her briefcase and laptop bag on the way. After she was settled in the car, he leaned through the driver's window to kiss her once more.

"Take care of yourself, okay? I'll see you Saturday."

"I can't wait," she replied softly. "Good luck with your interview. Call me and let me know how it goes."

"I will." He took a step back when she started the car. "I love you."

"Love you too," she called as the car backed out of the driveway.

It must've been Troy's imagination, but he could swear there were tears in her eyes as she drove away.

...~«ώ»~...

As promised, Troy called home that evening to report on his interview. When Gabriella answered the phone, she was out of breath, and he instantly tensed.

"Gabriella, why are you breathing so hard? Are you okay?"

"I was in the back yard," she explained. "I had to rush to get to the phone."

"What were you doing out there?"

She hesitated. "Um… exercising."

Troy's suspicion intensified. "What kind of exercise?"

He heard her sigh on the other end of the line. "I was mowing the grass."

"What?" he responded angrily. "You're supposed to be taking it easy! Damn it, Gabriella, you shouldn't be out there by yourself! What if something happened to you?"

"Nothing happened," she countered. "I'm fine. The yard looked like a jungle, and I couldn't stand it anymore. Besides, walking behind a lawn mower is not strenuous. It was good exercise."

"That's_ my _job," he insisted. "You should've just waited until I got home."

"I didn't want you to come home Saturday and have to worry about getting it done before you leave again. I was trying to make things easier for you."

Guilt stabbed through him, and he ran a hand through his hair. Pushing a lawn mower wasn't particularly strenuous, but he hated the thought that she had to take on more responsibilities at home because he wasn't there.

"Troy, please don't be upset," she continued. "I was just trying to help."

He sighed. "I know you were, honey. I appreciate it, I really do." Determined to change the subject, he purposely made his voice more upbeat. "How was your day?"

Gabriella paused. "Okay, I guess. Dr. Heller has been in to observe my class twice since she found out about my pregnancy. I feel like she's looking for a reason to reassign some of my classes to another professor."

"Why would she do that?" he asked. "You're the best!"

She laughed softly. "Thank you, but the whole faculty is nervous about the restructuring and evaluations that are coming. I just hope I have a job to go back to once my maternity leave is over."

Troy resisted mentioning the thought that popped into his head—that she could get a job at Lincoln Law School in Sacramento. "You know they can't terminate you for taking maternity leave. It's a violation of the Family Medical Leave Act."

"I know," she agreed. "That's why I feel like she's trying to find some other excuse to cut back my course load."

"Sweetie, I've sat in on your classes a good number of times, and I know what a great law professor you are. It's a perfect fit for you. So she's going to have to look pretty hard to find anything to criticize."

"Thanks, Troy," she replied. "How did your interview go?"

"It was great! I met with Pete, a member of the board of trustees, and the president of the athletic booster organization, and Pete was very complimentary of the job I've done so far. He really made me look good."

"He owes you that after the way he treated you in Vegas," Gabriella commented.

"Yeah, after the interview I stayed and talked to him about that. He was very apologetic, and although he didn't go into a lot of specifics, he said that he was under a lot of pressure from Coach Sterling's alumni supporters and members of the athletic boosters. They've threatened to pull their funding because the coach is unhappy with the way Pete is running things."

"It's not right for someone like Coach Sterling to have that kind of power," she responded. "I'm disappointed that Pete is letting him call the shots."

"Pete's under a lot of pressure," Troy told her. "I'm not condoning what he did, but I guess I can understand it to some degree. There are a lot of politics in college athletics."

Gabriella fought the urge to ask him why he was interested in working in such an environment. "When will you hear something about the job then? Have they finished interviewing all of the candidates?"

"They've already started to narrow the field. Actually, I have a second interview on Friday. It'll be with the entire board of trustees and a panel from the booster organization."

"Congratulations!" She tried her best to sound enthusiastic. "Are you excited?"

"I am," he admitted. "Remember how I told you about how confused I've been about this job and my training at UCSF? Meeting with those guys today, seeing their enthusiasm for the program and talking about the aspects of the job… well, it just reminded me how much I enjoy sports medicine."

"That's great, Troy. Really."

He picked up on the change of her tone and frowned. "Babe, are you sure you're okay with this? The other night you encouraged me to go for it if it's what I really want."

"I'll support you, whatever you decide. You know that."

"Whatever _we _decide," he reminded her. "We agreed that we'll make this decision together."

She nodded. "You're right, and we will. Look, Troy, I'm hot and tired and in need of a shower, so I'm going to let you go."

"All right, hon. I'll call you tomorrow after practice, okay?"

"I won't be home until after seven," she informed him. "Kelly signed me up for a prenatal yoga class at the hospital, and it starts tomorrow night."

"Good, that should help with your blood pressure," he said approvingly. "Don't forget to check it again before bed."

"I won't." He'd gotten an at-home blood pressure monitor so she could check it herself when he was gone. "I love you, Troy."

"I love you too, babe. Good night."

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy called the next night, he was surprised by Gabriella's grogginess when she answered.

"Hi, Troy. How was your day?"

"It was fine. Were you sleeping? It's not even 8:00!"

"Yeah, I was," she told him. "It's been kind of a rough day."

"How so? Was Dr. Heller hanging around again?"

"No, nothing like that. The pregnancy has kind of gone into overdrive today. I've been nauseous, my back hurts, and I'm running to the bathroom every five minutes."

Troy paused to consider her symptoms. They were typical pregnancy symptoms, but why had they suddenly intensified? Up until now she hadn't had any back pain… "Mowing the grass. That's why your back hurts."

"What?"

"Did you move the paving stones in the back yard before you cut the grass?"

"Yes."

"Did you lift the gas can?"

She blew out a frustrated breath. "The mower doesn't run very well without gas, Troy."

"See, I told you it was too strenuous! Maybe next time you'll listen to me and take it easy!"

"Quit scolding me," she shot back. "I'm not a little kid, and I can take care of myself!"

Troy ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to be cross with you. I didn't sleep very well last night."

"More nightmares?" she guessed. The silence at the other end of the line confirmed it. "Troy, what are you not telling me about these dreams? You said something happens to me… What is it?"

"It's… uh, it's nothing," he stammered. He absolutely refused to tell her that he'd been dreaming about her death. Especially when they were so far apart. "Actually, I had trouble sleeping because I was weighing the pros and cons of this job."

Gabriella knew he was changing the subject, but she let it go for the time being. "We talked about the pros… what are the cons?"

He sighed heavily. "Coach Sterling was back to his tyrannical behavior today. I'm just not sure if I can handle working with that guy. Matt said that he always acts that way with newcomers, but after awhile he settles in and leaves them alone."

She wasn't sure how to respond to that. In her opinion, Sterling didn't have a decent bone in his body, but she didn't want to discourage Troy before his next interview. The silence stretched on long enough that Troy moved on to a different subject.

"How was your yoga class tonight?" he asked.

"I didn't go. I told you, I've felt lousy all day, and I didn't figure yoga would make my backache any better. And don't start worrying about my health… I talked to Kelly and she said there was nothing to be concerned about."

"What about your blood pressure?"

Another pause. "It was a little high when I got home, but still below the limit. I'll check it again in the morning."

Troy frowned. "Okay, but if you're still feeling sick tomorrow, I want you to check in with Dr. Grant." She started to protest, but he cut her off. "I know you may not think it's necessary, but it's better to be safe than sorry, right?"

"I suppose," she allowed. "Look, Troy, I'm sorry, but I really just want to go to sleep now."

"All right," he agreed reluctantly. "Get a good night's sleep. Do you want me to call and check on you in the morning?"

"No, I have a Scientific Methods lab tomorrow, so I need to get there early to get everything set up."

"Okay then. I'll check back with you tomorrow night. Feel better, sweetie. I love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

...~«ώ»~...

At lunchtime on Thursday, Gabriella sagged into a seat at the table where Dr. Jacobson and Dr. Lentz were sitting in the faculty dining room. She was still nauseous and not at all hungry, but she knew Troy would be upset if he found out she'd skipped lunch. And breakfast.

"The lab went really well this morning," Dr. Lentz praised. "You've only had the Scientific Methods course for a couple years, and you're teaching circles around me."

Gabriella forced a smile. "I learned from the best." Leaning forward, she unwrapped the sandwich she'd brought from home. The smell of the luncheon meat wafted towards her nostrils, and she squeezed her eyes shut, fighting to control her stomach. The sounds of the dining room distorted, as if she was under water, and she had no idea how much time had passed when Dr. Jacobson laid a hand on her arm.

"Gabriella, are you all right?" she asked.

"It's just… morning sickness," Gabriella explained quietly.

"Well, you'd better tell that baby that it's not morning anymore, so it needs to leave you alone," Dr. Lentz replied jovially.

"I just need a minute," she continued. "It'll pass."

"Honey, you're shaking," Dr. Jacobson persisted.

"It's chilly in here," Gabriella argued. "You know me… I'm always cold."

Dr. Lentz leaned closer. "But you're sweating…"

"Would you like for me to call your husband?" Dr. Jacobson offered. "It's not too late to cancel your afternoon class."

Gabriella pinched the bridge of her nose. "Troy's in Sacramento, and I'm not canceling my class. Look, I appreciate your concern, but I can take care of myself." Irritated, she pushed up from the table, cringing as pain sliced through her lower back. She turned and walked away, leaving her uneaten lunch behind.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy scanned his apartment, making sure he had everything he needed for football practice that afternoon. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he smiled, guessing that it was Gabriella calling to check in after work. The number on the screen, however, was Kelly's, and an uneasy feeling settled in Troy's stomach. He flipped open his phone quickly, and could immediately hear the bustle of activity on the other end.

"Hey, Kelly, what's up?" he began.

"Hi, Troy," she answered hurriedly. "Um, I'm sorry to call you like this… I mean, I don't want to scare you, but… you need to come home as soon as possible."

"Why? What's going on?" he demanded. "Did something happen with Gabriella?"

Kelly blew out a heavy sigh. "She collapsed during her lecture at school this afternoon. One of her students called 911, and she's here at the hospital now. They just took her upstairs for some tests."

Troy was already throwing his belongings into his gym bag as he listened. He noticed that his hands were shaking. He'd worried that something like this could happen, and it killed him that he was so far away when she needed him most. His nightmare was coming true.

"Is it the baby?" he asked hoarsely.

"We don't know," Kelly answered. "She has a high fever, and she apparently had a panic attack on the way to the hospital. They're concerned about her blood pressure… It's really high…"

His mind raced. "She told me last night that she'd been nauseous all day, and that her back was hurting."

"Dr. Lentz said she told him the same thing," she replied. "They've paged Dr. Grant, and she should be here soon. Hopefully by the time you get here, we'll know more."

Troy zipped his bag shut and grabbed his keys. "I'm leaving now… keep me posted, okay, Kelly? And please…" he choked up, unable to bear the thought of losing the woman he loved. "Tell her I love her."

"I will, Troy, I promise," Kelly answered softly. "Drive safely, and I'll call you as soon as I hear anything."

...~«ώ»~...

After a torturous 90 minute drive, Troy skidded to a halt in the hospital's passenger pick-up area and ran inside. He spotted Mark, who'd promised to meet him there, and rushed toward his friend.

"How is she?" he asked frantically. "Is the baby okay? Do they know what's going on?"

Mark glanced around at the crowded lobby and didn't answer, but grabbed Troy's arm and walked briskly down the corridor. Troy continued to pepper him with questions, and when he couldn't take Mark's silence any longer, he jerked him to a stop.

"Mark, damn it, tell me what's going on!" Troy pressed. "What's wrong with Gabriella?" He choked on his words. "Or is it the baby?"

"The baby's okay for the time being," Mark answered tightly. "Gabi's the one we're worried about. She has a urinary tract infection that has spread into her bladder and kidneys."

Troy blanched. Kidney infections in particular were dangerous for pregnant women, and he knew there was a risk of premature labor. "Has she been asking for me?"

"She's under sedation. Dr. Grant thought it was best to minimize stress on the baby. Just until they can get her blood pressure down and make sure she doesn't have another panic attack."

Guilt slammed Troy in the chest. _If he'd been there, he could've calmed her down. Instead, she'd had to face the smothering fear and hysteria alone. _He followed Mark mutely, barely paying attention to the maze of doors and hallways.

Finally, Mark stopped outside a private room, but blocked the doorway with his arm. "Take a few seconds to catch your breath and calm yourself down. You need to be strong for Gabi."

Troy complied, and when Mark stepped out of the way, he pushed open the door. Kelly glanced up and then stood from her chair beside the bed, moving out of his way. Troy approached cautiously, his heart breaking at how tiny and fragile Gabriella looked. She was asleep, her hand resting protectively over the gentle curve of her belly. Leaning over, Troy swept the perimeter of her face with his fingertips, noting her feverish flush and dark-rimmed eyes.

"Baby, can you hear me?" he whispered next to her ear. "Sweetheart, it's Troy. I'm here. Everything's going to be okay. I love you." She didn't respond—he hadn't really expected her to—so he kissed her forehead. Feeling her warm skin, he swore under his breath. He'd kissed her like that on Tuesday, and she'd had a mild fever then. _Why hadn't he insisted that she get checked out? _"I'm sorry, Gabriella," he choked out. "If only I'd been here…"

Kelly stepped forward and put her hand on Troy's shoulder, shaking her head when he looked up at her. "Don't start blaming yourself. It won't do anyone any good."

His gaze went back to his wife, and he lifted her hand to enclose it with both of his. "T-tell me what I missed. How's she doing?"

"She's been sedated—Mark probably told you that—so she's resting comfortably. I've been with her since they moved her up here." Kelly moved to the other side of the bed and pointed at the tubes, wires, and monitors. "She's getting IV fluids and antibiotics, and they're keeping a close eye on her temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and breathing. The floor nurse has already been in here three times to check her readings. And they're monitoring the baby's heartbeat and watching for signs of preterm labor."

"I paged Dr. Grant to let her know that you're here," Mark added. "She said she'd come up and talk to you soon. Dr. Drake is the urologist who's been taking care of her—he said he'd stop by again before he leaves for the day."

Troy released a breath he hadn't even known he was holding. "Thanks, guys. For being here and taking care of her and…" His emotions threatened to overwhelm him. "Just… thanks."

"We're here for you and Gabi, man," Mark told him. "You know that."

Kelly circled the bed and hugged Troy reassuringly. "She's going to be fine, Troy. They both are."

"Thanks, Kel." He rubbed his eyes and slid wearily into the chair beside the bed. He would give anything to make sure that that was true, but for the time being, there was absolutely nothing he could do but wait and see.

...~«ώ»~...

Hours later, there was no significant change in Gabriella's condition. Her temperature was still elevated, and the catheter Dr. Drake had put in continued to drain dark infected fluid. Both doctors had checked on her before leaving for the day, and Dr. Grant had assured Troy that so far, the baby seemed to be doing fine. As long as they could get Gabriella through the crisis without going into preterm labor, they would be home free. Her blood pressure had dropped considerably, and although Dr. Grant had instructed the nurses to gradually reduce her intravenous sedatives, Gabriella had not yet awakened.

Troy kept vigil at her bedside, holding her hand, stroking her face and arms, and talking to her. It dawned on him how much he'd been thinking, planning, and worrying about the job at UCS and his career, and realized that right then, nothing mattered except his wife and child. What was it that his dad had told him? _When it gets right down to making your decision, you'll know. _No job, no amount of money or prestige could pull him away from Gabriella. He hadn't wanted a long distance relationship with her after high school, and he sure as hell didn't want one now, not even if it was just for a few months. He'd left a message for Pete to tell him that he wouldn't be there for his interview in the morning. If it could be rescheduled, great; if not, then he'd remove his name from the list of candidates without a second thought.

The door opened and Mark and Kelly came in. They'd gone home to change, eat, and get some fresh clothes for Troy.

"How's she doing?" Mark asked.

"No change."

"How are _you_ doing?" Kelly added.

Troy shrugged.

"We brought you some dinner," she continued, holding up a bag. "I knew you wouldn't want to leave Gabi."

"Thanks," Troy mumbled.

Kelly put her hands on her hips. "Okay now, Troy… You need a change of scenery, so I want you to go to the lounge with Mark and eat." He started to protest, but she held up her hand. "Don't argue. You're going to be here all night, and you need a break. You'll just be down the hall, and if there's any change, I'll let you know immediately." Breaking from her authoritative stance, she touched Troy's arm. "Go on, Troy. She'll be fine."

Reluctantly he stood, knowing it would take less time to go down the hall, wolf down his dinner, and hurry back than to argue with Kelly. He bent to kiss Gabriella's cheek and whispered to her that he'd be back soon, and then followed Mark out the door.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy ate his dinner in record time, anxious to get back to Gabriella's side. Mark made small talk, trying to keep Troy's mind off the situation, but it was no use. Troy shoved the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth and stood, sweeping his wrappers into the trash. Mark caught up with him as he exited the lounge, and they walked down the hall shoulder to shoulder.

They reached Gabriella's room, and as Mark reached for the door, it swung open. Carl Rogers stepped into the hall, smiling cockily at the men in front of him.

"Well, well, Bolton, fancy meeting you here," Carl taunted. "Saw you on TV last weekend. Why didn't you tell anyone you had a big fancy job at UCS?"

"None of your damn business," Mark shot back. "And what the hell were you doing in Gabi's room?"

"I'm the resident on call tonight for this floor, which means that Mrs. Bolton is my patient."

"Over my dead body…" Troy growled.

"Relax, Bolton, your wife is sedated," Carl told him, grinning lasciviously. "Which means she didn't get to enjoy the vaginal exam I just gave her."

Troy lunged forward, filled with murderous rage. "You son of a…"

"Troy!" Mark caught his friend and used his momentum to push him into the wall.

The door beside them jerked open and Kelly stepped out, glaring at the men. "What on earth is all the shouting about?"

Troy gestured toward Carl. "Did that scumbag just examine Gabriella?"

"In his dreams," Kelly snorted. "He just checked her vitals and changed her IV drip. I watched him like a hawk the whole time. Why, what did he tell you?"

"Never mind." Troy shook his head and spun to face Carl again. "I'm telling you for the last time, Rogers. Stay the hell away from my wife. If you so much as peek at her chart, I'll see to it that you never work here again. Do you understand me?"

"You may be Mr. Big Shot at UCS, Bolton, but in this hospital, we're on equal footing," Carl scoffed.

"We'll see if Dr. Gould feels the same way when we talk to her tomorrow," Mark inserted. "I'm pretty sure she's not going to be happy to hear that you've been harassing a patient's husband."

Carl was momentarily speechless, and then he turned back to Troy. "This is not over, Bolton." He turned on his heel and strode down the hall.

"The hell it isn't," Troy shouted after him.

"What an asshole," Mark muttered disgustedly. His gaze swung back to Troy. "I'm going to page Dr. Gould and ask her to put a different resident on Gabi's case tonight. That infection needs to be monitored closely."

Troy nodded. "Thanks, man."

"You bet," Mark answered.

Troy turned and went back into Gabriella's room, and the door swished shut behind him, leaving Mark and Kelly alone in the hall.

"Well, that settles it," Kelly sighed. "I get him to leave for five minutes and Rogers shows up. Now Troy's _never _going to leave her alone."

"Dr. Gould will keep Rogers in check," Mark insisted. "I don't envy him, though, being on the chief resident's bad side. It's not a good place to be."

"He deserved any punishment he gets," Kelly said disgustedly. "What a pig."

"Yep," Mark agreed. He slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders and squeezed. "Come on, babe. Let's not waste any more energy on that loser. Troy and Gabi need us."

She nodded, and together they returned to Gabriella's room.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella felt like she was swimming in a pool of molasses. Her senses were dull, her limbs were heavy, and her thoughts were jumbled. Something bad had happened, but she couldn't remember what it was. She knew she should be worried about something, but had no idea what. Maybe she'd find answers if she could make it to the surface. It took extraordinary effort, but she worked her way up towards the light. Once there, she forced her eyes open just enough to see Troy's face hovering above her. It seemed unusual—wrong somehow—that he was there, but she didn't know why.

"T-Tr-oy…" she stammered. Why was her throat so dry?

He moved closer, and she felt his warm hands frame her face. "I'm here, baby. Everything will be okay."

She didn't understand what the "everything" was that he was referring to, but just hearing his soothing voice made her feel better. Still, her eyes wouldn't stay open, and she could feel herself slipping back down into the molasses. The last thing she remembered was the softness of Troy's lips on her cheek.

...~«ώ»~...

When it was clear that Gabriella had slipped back into unconsciousness, Troy sagged into his chair. It was just after three in the morning, and he was dead tired. He knew he should be relieved that she was starting to come out of her drug-induced slumber, but his brief glimpse at her drowsy eyes had reinforced how sick she really was. She'd looked so confused and uncomfortable that he wanted to crawl in bed with her and hold her and make her feel safe. He scrubbed his hands over his face, battling emotions. He hated that he'd been so far away when she'd needed him. Wished he hadn't taken for granted that she'd be here every time he returned to San Francisco. Thought about the horrible outcomes of his nightmares, and realized that there was no way he could go on without her.

Then he gave himself a firm mental shake. He couldn't allow himself to think like that. Gabriella would be okay. The baby would be okay. He had to stop thinking the worst and start believing in the best. Infections like hers were rarely fatal, and though it would take awhile for her to get back on her feet, Gabriella would eventually recover completely. They'd have to monitor her and the baby very closely, but he'd just have to keep reminding himself that they would both be all right.

He leaned forward to stroke her hair and skim his fingers across her cheek. His other hand rubbed soothing circles on her belly. Gabriella stirred, and her hand shifted to cover her stomach protectively. Troy chuckled softly, realizing how reassuring her simple movement was to him. He covered her hand with his, laid his head down beside her, and finally drifted off to sleep.


	44. Priorities

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 44—Priorities**

"She had a few mild contractions overnight, but at least for the time being, the baby seems determined to stay put," Dr. Grant told Troy on Friday morning.

He breathed a sigh of relief and then turned his attention back to Gabriella. "Why isn't she waking up?"

Dr. Grant laid a hand on his arm. "She's pretty sick, Troy. Her temperature is still elevated, and her body is fighting a great deal of infection. Dr. Drake is running a lot of fluids through her, trying to flush out her system, but it's going to take time."

He nodded slowly, running a hand over his stubbly face, and Dr. Grant checked her watch.

"I need to get over to the office, but I'll come back to check on her around noon," Dr. Grant continued. "Dr. Drake will likely be here after his scheduled procedures this morning."

Troy nodded again. "That's what the nurse said." He extended his hand and she shook it. "Thanks for taking care of her."

"You're welcome, Troy," Dr. Grant replied. "I know this is scary, but try to stay positive. She'll need you when she wakes up."

"I'll try," he agreed. She squeezed his arm once more and left the room.

Troy went to the bathroom to re-wet the washcloth he'd been using to swab Gabriella's hot skin. He stared into the mirror, taking in his disheveled appearance and red, hollow eyes. Shaking his head, he returned to his seat beside her bed and lifted Gabriella's arm to run the cool cloth over it. He slipped into a trance-like rhythm, and had no idea how much time passed before he moved the cloth up to her flushed cheeks. To his surprise, when he touched her face, her chin lifted.

"Gabriella?"

Her head moved almost imperceptibly and her eyelids fluttered. He moved to sit on the bed beside her and watched as she slowly regained consciousness. Finally, her eyes peeked open.

"Hey," he said softly. Her eyes slid closed, but after a moment, she forced them open again.

"Troy?" she questioned groggily.

He leaned closer and cupped her face, stroking his thumb across her cheek. "I'm here, baby."

Her brows furrowed as she tried hard to clear the fog in her mind. "What…?" She looked around at the unfamiliar room. "Where…?"

"Honey," Troy started gently, but her eyes suddenly widened when her memory sharpened.

"Oh, no," she cried. "Is it the baby? Please, God, no… not the baby! Troy!"

Her breathing grew rapid, and the blood pressure monitor beside her chirped an alarm. Troy framed her face with his hands.

"Gabriella, listen to me. The baby is fine. Look." He pointed to the fetal monitor. "See, look at that. There's the baby's heartbeat, nice and strong. The baby is doing just fine."

"The… the baby's… okay?" she gasped.

"The baby is safe and sound." The blood pressure monitor continued to beep. "Sweetheart, take some deep breaths for me. Come on, you need to calm down. Breathe with me."

Her eyes were wide with fear, and fierce protectiveness surged through him. A nurse came in to check the monitor, but Troy ignored her, keeping Gabriella's eyes focused on his. She breathed with him, and when the monitor silenced, he glanced up, relieved to see that the numbers were falling.

"Dr. Bolton?" the nurse questioned.

"She's all right now," he told her. "Would you please page Dr. Drake and give him an update?"

She nodded. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Thanks." Troy turned his attention back to his wife and rubbed her arm. "Do you remember anything that happened?"

Gabriella frowned in concentration. "I was at school… and I was feeling really sick…" She looked to him for clarification.

"You have an infection in your urinary tract, bladder, and kidneys."

She paused to process that. "Isn't that dangerous for the baby?"

"I already told you, the baby is fine," he said firmly. "We need to worry about getting _you _well."

She looked down as she took a physical inventory. "Troy, I can feel… there's something… down there…"

"It's a catheter," he told her gently. "They're running a bunch of fluids through you to flush out the infection, and it's important to get it all drained out. Dr. Drake will take it out when the fluid output is clear."

Gabriella nodded, but still looked confused. "It's Thursday. You're supposed to be in Sacramento."

"Kelly called me when you came into the ER," he explained. "And it's actually Friday morning. I came home last night."

Her eyes widened. "Friday morning? What about your interview?"

"I already told Pete I wouldn't be there." Her gaze dropped, and he took both of her hands in his. "Gabriella, don't worry about it. It doesn't matter. All that matters to me is making sure you're okay." His eyes squeezed shut for a few seconds and then refocused on her. "When I got that call from Kelly, I was absolutely terrified that something would happen to you before I could get here. I was _so _worried."

"Oh, Troy," she murmured, smoothing her hand over his unruly hair. "I'm sorry for scaring you. I shouldn't have ignored the symptoms. I was just being stubborn." More memories from the day before flashed in her mind, and her eyes burned with sudden tears. "In the ambulance, I remember… I was so afraid that something bad had happened to the baby, and…" She squeezed her eyes shut, releasing a tear. "I just wanted you there with me. I don't think I've ever felt so alone."

He leaned forward and gathered her in his arms, unable to speak through the emotion clogging his throat. He rocked her gently, rubbing a soothing hand over her back.

"I'm here now, baby," he whispered into her hair. "We're going to get you feeling better soon, I promise. Everything else can wait." Gabriella nodded, her eyes suddenly heavy. Troy felt her muscles relaxing and gently laid her back down. "Rest, sweetheart," he murmured after he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'm not going anywhere."

...~«ώ»~...

At lunchtime, Kelly came up to visit Gabriella, and Troy seized the opportunity to take care of some business elsewhere in the hospital. First he sought out Dr. Gould to discuss the situation with Carl Rogers, and then made his way to the Ortho Clinic to talk to Dr. Overman about the job at UCS and his orthopedic surgery training.

As he walked back through the tunnel that connected the clinic to the hospital, he saw a former patient approaching. The teenager's face split into a wide grin.

"Yo, Dr. Bolton! What's up?" He offered his hand, and Troy successfully executed the complex handshake that the young man had taught him during his post-surgical recovery several months ago.

"Luis! Great to see you!" Troy glanced down at the teen's leg. "How's the knee doing?"

"It's awesome," Luis beamed. "You did a good job fixing me up." He balanced on one leg to demonstrate the flexibility of his rehabilitated knee. "See, good as new."

"That's great," Troy replied. "Are you playing soccer this fall?"

"You know it! You told me after surgery that I would, and I have to admit, I didn't believe you, but here I am."

"Believe it or not, I _do _know a thing or two about orthopedic surgery," Troy teased. "Dr. Overman gets the credit for finishing up your rehab, though."

Luis pretended to glare at him. "Yeah, I'm still mad that you dumped me off on him so you could go off to some big, fancy college job." Troy's smile faltered slightly, and Luis rushed on. "I'm just teasing, Doc. I'm really grateful for all you did for me. There were scouts from USC and UCLA at our last game. It would've killed me if I hadn't been able to play for them." He grinned. "I scored two goals."

Troy clapped him on the back. "Good for you!" He glanced at his watch. "Look, I've got to get going, but it was great to see you. Keep up the great work. Tell your parents I said hi."

"I will," Luis promised. "Thanks again, Dr. Bolton!"

Troy turned and jogged towards the hospital, grinning with pride. He'd made a difference in that kid's life, and it felt incredible. _This is it, _he told himself. _This is what it's all about._

...~«ώ»~...

Later that evening, Mark and Kelly slipped quietly into Gabriella's room. She was asleep, and Troy was hunched over beside the bed, scribbling in a notebook. He glanced up when they came in and gave them a tired smile before he stood to hug first Kelly and then Mark.

"How's she doing?" Mark asked quietly.

Troy glanced towards the bed. "Her fever's gone down some, but it's still hovering around 100. Dr. Drake doesn't want to give her stronger antibiotics because of the pregnancy, so it's taking longer to fight the infection." Sighing, he returned to his seat, and Mark and Kelly moved to sit on the other side of the bed.

"I brought you some dinner," Kelly told Troy, handing him a bag. "Don't worry, I won't make you leave to eat this time."

"Have you heard anything about Rogers today?" Mark asked.

Troy rifled through the bag, pulled out a sandwich, and took a bite before answering. "Yeah, I talked to Dr. Gould at lunchtime. He got a four-day suspension. By the time he comes back, Gabriella will be home."

"Ooh, I bet he was _pissed!_" Mark chuckled. "Serves him right, though. I've never like that guy, and messing with a patient's family is unacceptable."

Troy nodded his agreement around another bite of his sandwich.

Kelly took a deep breath. "Troy, you need to go home and get some sleep tonight. I know you don't want to…"

He was already shaking his head. "I'm not leaving her," he answered. "Not until she's out of the woods."

Mark leaned forward, rubbing his hands together. "What are you going to do about the game tomorrow?"

Troy shrugged one shoulder. "I told Pete I'd let him know in the morning."

"Dude, you _have _to go," Mark insisted. "Where are they going to get a replacement on such short notice? You have a responsibility to the team. Besides, the entire hiring committee will be at the game. This is your shot, man."

"And what about your interview?" Kelly added. "Gabi said that the committee agreed to meet with you before the game tomorrow." He started to interrupt, but she put up her hand to silence him. "I know you want to be here, Troy, but it will really hurt your chances of getting the job if you blow off that interview."

The fight seemed to drain out of Troy's body, and he sagged back into his seat, rubbing his palms in his eyes to clear the grit. He knew they were right, but he couldn't shake the fear that Gabriella's condition could deteriorate while he was gone. His recurring nightmare niggled at the edge of his consciousness, and he blew out a heavy sigh.

"I'll think about it," he told his friends. "That's all I can promise for now."

"Okay," Mark replied.

Kelly leaned forward again, not quite ready to give up. "It would be easier to make a decision after a good night's sleep."

Troy shot her a look of warning. "I said I'd think about it, but for tonight, I'm staying. That's not up for debate. The nurse said she'd bring in a cot so I don't have to sleep in the chair."

She put her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay. I know when to let it go."

Mark coughed into his hand, obviously trying hard not to comment about his wife's statement.

Normally, Troy would seize the opportunity to bait Mark and get him into hot water with Kelly. That night, though, he just didn't have it in him. While the other couple bickered playfully on the other side of the bed, Troy simply leaned forward, rested his head on Gabriella's arm, and went to sleep.

...~«ώ»~...

Kelly Davis was a woman on a mission. She marched down the hospital corridor with Mark following close behind. She had enlisted his help for the mission, and he'd learned early in their relationship that once Kelly made up her mind about something, it was best for him to either get on board or get out of the way. With this mission, he was completely on board. Especially because he knew that Gabriella had been involved in the planning process. It was 7:30 on Saturday morning, time to set the plan into motion.

When they burst into Gabriella's room, she was propped up in bed. Troy sat beside her, holding her hand with both of his. He looked more rested than he had the night before, undoubtedly because of the cot in the corner of the room. Troy didn't seem surprised to see them, which meant that Gabriella had already done her part to persuade him to go to UCS.

"Hey," Kelly started. "How are you feeling?"

"About the same," Gabriella answered.

"Her fever hasn't gone down," Troy added. "And Kelly, before you go into battle mode, Gabriella and I already talked, and I'm going to go to UCS for the interview and game." He looked at his wife, and she nodded her approval. "I understand that you two are planning to stay with her while I'm gone, which I appreciate very much."

Mark cleared his throat. "Actually, slight change of plans… Kelly's staying with Gabi, and I'm going with you."

Troy seemed to mull that over, and Kelly jumped in before he could change his mind.

"You haven't gotten much sleep for the past couple days, and I think Gabi won't worry about you as much if Mark drives you."

The corners of Troy's mouth twitched. "That's such a sacrifice for Mark, having to go and watch a UCS football game!"

"Hey, man," Mark grinned. "For you, I'll make the sacrifice."

"Boys, boys," Kelly scolded with a wink in Gabriella's direction. She held up a garment bag that had been draped over her arm. "Troy, I brought you a suit from home, and Gabi said your clothes for the game are at your apartment. You'd better go get changed."

Troy squeezed Gabriella's hand gratefully and stood. "I think I'm going to grab a quick shower in the doctors' locker room. I'll be back to check on you before I leave." He leaned down to kiss her cheek, took his clothes from Kelly, and left the room.

Kelly crossed her arms, satisfied. "Well, that was a lot easier than I was expecting. Clearly I underestimated your persuasive powers, Gabi!"

Gabriella shrugged. "Troy knew he needed to go. He just needed a little nudge." She glanced to her side. "Mark, would you please get some more ice water for me? My throat's dry."

"Sure," he agreed, moving forward to take the pitcher from her. "I'll be right back."

Kelly looked at her friend sympathetically. "You still can't eat anything? That must be awful."

As soon as the door closed behind Mark, Gabriella grabbed Kelly's arm. "I need you to page Dr. Grant."

"What? Why?" Kelly sputtered.

Gabriella motioned Kelly closer. "I… I've been having contractions for the past three hours."

Kelly frowned, struggling to comprehend. "Why didn't Troy page her? I can't believe he would let that go."

Gabriella looked down, and her voice trembled. "I didn't tell him." Kelly's jaw dropped, and Gabriella hurried on. "They're mild. They haven't even set off the fetal monitor. That's good, right?" Kelly continued to stare, open-mouthed, and Gabriella picked at the blanket covering her legs. "If I tell him, he won't leave. And he _needs _to go. I'm not… totally sold on him taking this job, but he can't give up the opportunity out of a sense of duty to me."

Kelly crossed her arms sternly. "Gabi, you know how important you are to Troy. How do you think he'll feel if he goes to UCS and something happens to you or the baby? He'll never forgive himself. Maybe you should tell him."

"Look, Dr. Grant said I've been having mild contractions since Thursday night. I've been sleeping a lot, so I haven't felt them until this morning. But unless I actually go into pre-term labor, which is unlikely at this point, there's no reason for Troy to have to stay." Mark pushed the door open, and Gabriella looked at Kelly pleadingly. "Please, Kel."

"'Please' what?" Mark asked, looking between the two women curiously.

Kelly and Gabriella locked eyes, a silent conversation flowing between them. Finally, Kelly gave a slight nod and turned to face her husband.

"Gabi was telling me how she's been craving waffles," she supplied. "She's getting pretty tired of popsicles and ice chips."

Mark set the filled pitcher beside the bed. "Sorry, Gabi, but they won't let you go back to solid foods until your fever's down and the catheter's out." He patted her leg. "I know it's hard, but you've got to hang in there."

"I'm, uh, going to go to the nurses' station and say hi," Kelly announced. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Mark watched her go and then flopped into one of the chairs beside the bed. "My wife, the social butterfly." Gabriella was biting her bottom lip, and Mark reached out to squeeze her hand. "Don't worry, Gabi. I'll take good care of Troy, and get him back here in one piece."

"Thanks, Mark," she said quietly. "Thanks for doing this for him. It means a lot." Tears pricked her eyes, and she laid her head back on the pillow behind her, pretending to be getting sleepy.

"No problem," he replied. "Do you want me to lower the bed so you can sleep?"

"I'm okay," she whispered.

Her feigned sleep soon turned real, and she awoke sometime later to the feel of Troy's lips on her cheek. His breath was warm on her skin, and she wished she could grab hold of him and keep him right beside her. Instead, she opened her eyes to look up at him.

"Hey," he said softly. "I didn't mean to wake you. Mark and I are getting ready to go. Do you need anything?"

She shook her head, not trusting her voice to remain steady.

"Okay. I'll call and check on you after my interview." Troy glanced up at Kelly. "Don't hesitate to call me if you need me. I want to know what's going on." Kelly looked at Gabriella and nodded, and Troy returned his attention to his wife. "Take care of yourself and get some rest, okay? I'll be back this afternoon." He leaned in to kiss her and stroked a thumb across her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too." She swallowed hard to clear the lump in her throat. "Good luck."

…..~«ώ»~…..

Troy sat at the head of a conference table in the UCS athletic complex, looking at each person around the table as they interviewed him. Most of them smiled when he caught their eye, but Coach Sterling, at the other end of the table, simply glared. They'd discussed Troy's education and training, his field experiences, and his philosophies about sports medicine. The final part of the interview was a more informal question and answer session, and Troy allowed himself to relax somewhat, pleased with how things had gone so far.

He'd just finished answering a question from one of the athletic boosters about injury prevention when Coach Sterling put up his hand, indicating that he had a question. Troy cringed inwardly, but made sure his face did not betray his tension. A few seats away, Pete gave him a reassuring nod.

"Dr. Bolton," Sterling began. "I think everyone around this table understands how important it is for this team to have a _full-time _doctor available for every practice, every scrimmage, every game. Would you please explain to this panel why you are not fully dedicating yourself to this job at the present time?"

Pete started to object, but Troy stopped him. "It's okay, I don't mind answering." He turned to face the others. "Pete has already explained that I am currently here on field assignment from the UCSF Medical Center. Shortly before this opportunity was presented to me, my wife and I found out that we are expecting our first child." Troy saw a few smiles around the table, and one of the board members murmured a congratulations. "My wife is a law professor at UC Hastings, and so it was not possible for her to move with me to Sacramento on such short notice. I agreed to take the field assignment on the condition that I be allowed to spend three days a week in San Francisco with her."

Pete nodded. "We were really in a pinch to find a team doctor, and Dr. Bolton came very highly recommended. The situation is not ideal, but I think he's done an admirable job during his time here."

"If you are hired for this position on a permanent basis, you understand that you'll be expected to be here full-time, right?" one of the board members asked.

"My wife and I have discussed relocating to Sacramento if I accept a job offer here," Troy answered. "Pete has made inquiries about a teaching position for her at Lincoln Law School. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't serious about this job."

"I'm not sure that your wife shares your enthusiasm," Sterling pressed. "It should be noted that you missed your interview yesterday because of her."

Troy's eyes narrowed, and he leaned forward. "My wife is in the hospital right now with a serious infection that could cause harm to the baby. I'm here today because she insisted that I come. She is very supportive of me, even to her own detriment."

Pete interjected, defending Troy's dedication to his work, but Troy didn't hear a word. He kept replaying what he'd just said in his mind. _She's very supportive… to her own detriment… _He and Gabriella had talked about how things would change if he accepted the job at UCS. She'd told him that if it was what he really wanted to do, then she would resign from her position at Hastings, sell their house in San Francisco, and move to Sacramento. He'd heard what he wanted to hear—that she would do it—and had missed the unspoken message—that she didn't _want_ to do it. She was willing to give up a job she loved, leave her friends behind, and move to a new city so that he could chase his dreams. It wasn't fair to ask that of her. Troy shook his head. _I've been such an idiot, _he chastised himself. For the past few days, he hadn't even been sure he _wanted _this job. He couldn't ignore the strain that his demanding schedule had put on his marriage. He loved San Francisco as much as Gabriella did, and though the job at UCS was exciting and challenging, it would force him to give up his pursuit of certification in orthopedic surgery. There was no way he could log the necessary hours in the operating room while working six days a week at UCS. It was all too much to sacrifice.

Coach Sterling was talking again, and Troy refocused on the conversation around him.

"I've built this football program from the ground up," Sterling said. "I've worked and sweated and sacrificed for years." The athletic boosters at the table nodded their agreement. "My assistant coaches, my training staff, field staff, _everyone_ gives 110% to make this team successful. I can't accept anything less from my team physician." He leveled his gaze at Troy. "So my question to you, Dr. Bolton, is this: Are you prepared to make a commitment to this team, to make this university and its athletes your top priority?"

_There it is,_ Troy thought. _All the cards are on the table_. After weeks of uncertainty, he was struck by how easy the decision really was.

"No," he answered. "No, I'm not." Around the table, there were looks of confusion. "Here's the thing, Coach. My family comes first, and that's never going to change. I love sports medicine, and I love working with athletes, but it's a _job. _I'm not going to sacrifice my marriage or my family for a job. If that's what you expect of your staff, then I'm not the man you're looking for." He gathered the papers in front of him and stood, surprised by how much lighter he felt. "Thank you all for your time. I need to get ready for the game."

Then he turned and walked out of the room without a moment of hesitation. It was the right thing to do, and now that he'd _finally _figured that out, he couldn't wait to get home and tell Gabriella.

...~«ώ»~...

A couple hours later, Mark stood on the sideline at the game, grinning from ear to ear. Troy had gotten permission for him to watch the game from the field, and he hadn't stopped smiling since. Troy, for his part, was enjoying his work more now that he was free from the pressure of trying to impress the athletic boosters and board members in the stands. Still, he watched the game clock wind down to end the first half, anxious to check on Gabriella. He'd called after his interview, but there'd been no answer in her hospital room. He hoped that she'd been asleep and that Kelly had turned off the phone to let her rest.

The clock reached zero, and the players jogged towards the locker room with the coaches and trainers close behind.

"Dude, this is so cool!" Mark told Troy for about the twentieth time as they headed for the tunnel. They made their way to the training room, and Matt met them at the door.

"Troy, we've got three guys with possible injuries," he reported. "Hernandez has some shoulder pain, Hart's got a laceration on his thigh—probably from somebody's cleat—and Wright has a possible wrist fracture."

"Okay, thanks," Troy answered. "Start icing Hernandez, and I'll get an x-ray on Wright."

"Anything I can do to help?" Mark asked.

"Check Hart's laceration," Troy answered, leading him towards the training tables. He stopped in front of a young man with a long rip in his football pants. "Collin, this is my friend, Dr. Mark Davis. He's going to take good care of you, okay?"

The young man nodded, and Mark followed Troy to the nearby cabinet where the medical supplies were kept. By the time Troy crossed the room to the x-ray equipment, Mark had already pulled on gloves and was leaning over his patient. Matt and Jamie dashed from player to player, rewrapping wrists and feet and icing the quarterback's arm. They all worked quickly and methodically, and soon the call came for the players to return to the field. Troy checked the status list on his clipboard and then went over to where Mark had been working. Hart was gone.

"Two stitches," Mark reported. "I just sent him to change his pants. I wrapped him, so he'll be fine to play."

"Show-off," Troy joked.

"What about your kid?" Mark asked. "Broken?"

"Sprained. He's out for the second half. Hernandez is fine."

One of the assistant coaches stuck his head in the door, and Troy handed him the status list. The older man hollered a warning, and the remaining players hustled out of the room and back to the field. Matt and Jamie quickly replenished the field medical bag and refilled the ice buckets, and Troy checked his watch.

"Damn it," he muttered. "There's less than five minutes before the start of the second half. Could you call Kelly and see how Gabriella's doing?"

"You bet," Mark agreed.

Troy helped Matt and Jamie load up their supplies, and then returned to the field. Troy scanned the sideline, looking for Mark, but then the kick-off went up, the crowd cheered, and the second half was underway.

By the time Mark returned to Troy's side, UCS had already scored a touchdown and was preparing to punt.

"Well?" Troy asked.

"'Well' what?" Mark replied, his attention on the field.

"What did Kelly say?" Troy pressed.

Mark still didn't look at his friend. "Oh, yeah. Everything's fine."

"You were gone that long, and all you can tell me is that everything's fine?"

"I had to, uh, use the little boys' room," Mark answered. Behind them, the crowd roared. "Interception!" He exclaimed.

Troy and Mark had been friends for ten years, and Troy knew that Mark was holding back. He put his hand on Mark's shoulder, about to get an answer, when the radio on his hip crackled to life.

"Player down!"

Troy swung into action, rushing onto the field as soon as the play ended with Matt and Jamie right behind him. They quickly assessed the injured player and got him off the field, and then play resumed. Troy went with him to the training room to make sure his injuries weren't serious, and then returned to the field. He spotted Mark again, tapping away on his cell phone, his mouth set in a thin line of worry. Troy approached him, and then another player went down.

For the remainder of what Troy considered the longest and most frustrating second half in the history of football, he treated injured player after injured player. Finally, blessedly, the final buzzer sounded, and the game was over. Mark started to jog off the field, but Troy grabbed his arm.

"What the hell is going on?" Troy demanded. "You've avoided me ever since you talked to Kelly, and I want to know what's wrong. _Now._"

"Troy, it's not a big deal," Mark told him. "I'll help you wrap things up here and then we'll get on the road. I'm sure Gabriella's anxious to see you."

Troy's anger grew. "Kelly told you not to tell me, didn't she?" Mark's gaze flicked away guiltily, and Troy had to resist the urge to hit him. His voice dropped to a growl. "Mark Davis, if you don't tell me right now what's going on with my wife, I swear..."

Mark sighed, knowing he couldn't hide it anymore. "Gabi's been having contractions."

"How long?" Troy asked.

"All day. Since this morning." Troy released his friend's arm and collapsed onto one of the sideline benches. "She didn't tell you because she knew you wouldn't leave her to go to your interview. Dr. Grant gave Gabi ritodrine…" He paused to check his watch. "…about an hour ago. If the contractions don't stop by tonight, she's going to run a biophysical profile to see if the fetus has been compromised."

Troy stared across the empty football field, trying to process the news. It was possible that the baby had succumbed to the infection, and the contractions were Gabriella's body's way of disposing of the lifeless fetus. Gabriella was 18 weeks pregnant. The fetus was not considered "viable" outside the womb until 23 weeks at the earliest. Even then, the baby's chances of survival were very poor. He looked down to see that his hands were shaking.

"Kelly said Gabi is doing okay. She's scared, obviously, but she's hanging in there." Mark cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I knew there was no way you could finish the game if you knew."

Troy nodded in agreement, and then pushed to his feet determinedly. "I've got a few players I have to check on, and then we're out of here."

"Come on," Mark agreed. "Let's go."

...~«ώ»~...

Mark made it back to San Francisco in record time, and Troy barely waited for the car to stop at the hospital entrance before he leapt out. He burst into Gabriella's room, terrified that he was too late. Instead, he found Gabriella propped up in bed, just like he'd left her that morning. He rushed to her side, nearly running over Kelly as she slipped quietly out the door. He took Gabriella in his arms, and his gut clenched when she released a soft sob.

"Talk to me," he pleaded into her hair. "The baby…?"

She pulled away and looked up at him, her eyes wet with tears but a smile on her face. "I haven't had any contractions for almost three hours now. Dr. Grant said that if I can make it overnight with no more contractions, then that's a good sign."

"Why didn't you tell me about this before I left this morning?"

"I knew you would stay," she replied. "The interview, the job… I know how important it is to you."

"_You're _important to me," he corrected. "You and this baby mean more to me than any job. And that's what I told the interview committee."

Her eyes widened. "You did?"

"Yeah, I did," he confirmed. "I don't think they're going to be offering me the job, and frankly, that's okay with me. I want to be here, in San Francisco, with you. We've built a life here, and we're going to build a family here too."

Her eyes filled with tears again, and she threw her arms around him. "Oh, Troy. That's what I want. What I've always wanted. Thank you."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy lifted his head and blinked, surprised that he'd actually dozed off. He checked his watch. It was after 11:30, and Gabriella still hadn't had any contractions. It was a good sign. He settled his hand on Gabriella's rounded abdomen, and a moment later she covered his hand with hers.

"Did I wake you?" he asked.

"No, I just closed my eyes for a few minutes," she replied. "I couldn't stare at the clock or the fetal monitor anymore." She bit her bottom lip. "I feel like I won't be able to exhale until morning…"

She stopped suddenly, and her eyes widened. Troy didn't need to ask why. He'd felt the movement under his hand. He squeezed his eyes closed, disappointment flooding his body.

"Troy," she said breathlessly.

"I know, a contraction. I felt it." He reached for the phone wearily. "I'll call Dr. Grant…"

"Troy," she said again, more forcefully this time. "That wasn't a contraction."

He frowned. "What? But I felt it. Right here." He laid his hand on her belly again, next to her hand, and a few seconds later, there was another little flutter. "There it is again."

"It's not a contraction," she insisted. "I've been feeling them all day, and this is different. Troy, I think…" Her voice broke, and he looked up to see her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "That was the baby. The baby just kicked."

As if in confirmation, there was yet another flutter beneath their fingers. Troy sat, dumbstruck, as the movement continued. His child was there, right underneath his hand, safe and secure in its mother's womb. It was incredible. Gabriella covered her face with her hands and wept with relief and joy. Troy lay down beside her and held her, not trusting his voice to speak. She snuggled closer to him, pressing her abdomen into his, and the feeling of their baby between them filled his heart with deep, profound love. He didn't realize there were tears on his cheeks until Gabriella touched his face gently, the emotions in her eyes mirroring his.

"I love you, Troy," she whispered.

His throat was clogged with emotion, and he couldn't possibly put into words what he was feeling just then. Why had it taken him so long to get his priorities in the right order? All he'd needed to do was follow his heart. It always led him back to Gabriella, back where he belonged.


	45. Breaking Point

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 45—Breaking Point**

_Beep! Beep! Beep! _Troy moaned softly and reached behind him to quiet the alarm clock. After several errant slaps on the bedside table, he made contact and silenced the shrieking machine. Beside him, Gabriella stirred, and he tucked himself back into her, his front to her back, his hand on her belly. Ever since he'd felt the baby's movement more than a week ago, he seized every available opportunity to touch and rub her softly-rounded abdomen. It was a precious opportunity to connect with his wife and their child, especially after the frightening days they'd endured in the hospital. The danger had passed—Gabriella had recovered from her illness and was feeling stronger every day. In fact, they'd visited Dr. Grant just yesterday, and she'd given Gabriella the green light to resume normal activities. Troy grinned. They certainly hadn't wasted any time resuming their _sexual _activities. Gabriella stirred again and stretched, pressing her backside into Troy's groin. He tightened his arms around her and leaned in to kiss her neck.

"Good morning, lover," he murmured against her ear.

"Mmm, it _is _a good morning," she hummed. "I love waking up with you like this." She sighed quietly, and Troy guessed she'd just remembered that he was leaving for UCS after breakfast.

"Only two more weeks, and then I'll be home with you for good," he soothed.

"Not if Pete has his way." She rolled over to face him and propped her head on her hand. "He's determined to change your mind about extending your contract through the end of the season."

"I've told Pete how I feel, and eventually he'll accept it. Once the new doctor gets released from his contract in Las Vegas, it'll be a done deal."

"Troy, are you sure…?" she began, but he cut her off.

"We've been through this, babe."

"I know," she acknowledged. "I just don't want you to end up regretting your decision."

He skimmed his fingers down her bare arm. "Gabriella, I haven't had a moment of regret since I made the decision. It's a good job, but it's not my dream job. It took me awhile to realize that, but now there's no question in my mind. There will be more opportunities after I finish my training and get my surgical certification."

She breathed a soft sigh of relief and leaned in to kiss him. He kissed her enthusiastically, rolling her on her back and pressing his growing erection against her hip. And then her alarm clock went off.

"Ignore it," he murmured against her mouth, but she pushed at his chest and he reluctantly pulled back.

"I'm going back to work today," she reminded him. "It wouldn't be good for me to be late after I've missed more than a week of class."

Troy rolled onto his back and covered his face with his arm. "Why do you always have to be so responsible?"

She giggled and reached over to tickle him. "You're responsible too, whether you want to admit it or not. And you've got a lot of work to do, getting your team ready to take on Stanford this Saturday. They'll need all the help they can get!"

"Hey, no trash-talking my employer," he teased. "Does that mean you won't be cheering for me at the game?"

"I'll _always _cheer for you, but I just don't think I can bring myself to cheer against my alma mater."

"Fair enough," he conceded. He pushed himself up to a sitting position. "You go ahead and shower, and I'll make breakfast."

Gabriella pushed onto her knees behind him and ran a hand down his bare back. "I have a better idea. How about if we skip breakfast and shower together?"

He grinned from ear to ear. "This is why I love being married to a genius!"

...~«ώ»~...

Thursday evening, Troy sat in his office at UCS, tapping away on his laptop. Football practice was long over, and the rumbling in his stomach told him it was way past dinnertime. There were a number of injured players that week, and he wanted to get the players' treatment plans done so he could go over them with Matt and Jamie before practice the next day.

"Dr. Bolton? I need help."

He looked up to see a young woman in his doorway, her face streaked with tears. He recognized her as one of the UCS cheerleaders, though he didn't know her name. She'd been hanging around the training room a lot lately, and Troy had guessed that she was dating one of the football players. He stood and rounded his desk to get a closer look.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I was, um, practicing my tumbling in the gym, and I landed wrong and hit my head," she explained shakily.

Troy frowned. "Where's the coach? The rest of the team?"

The girl looked down. "I, uh… I was practicing alone."

His frown deepened. "You know that 's against university policy. All athletes are required to work out in pairs or with a coach, trainer, or spotter. It's for your own safety."

"I know," she answered meekly. "I was just… having a bad day, and… it helps me clear my head." She looked up at him. "I tried to get one of my teammates to come with me, but she's out with her stupid boyfriend."

"Did you call your team's doctor or one of your trainers?"

"I tried. Nobody's answering their phone."

Troy shook his head. "I'm not authorized to treat anyone but football players, _especially _not female athletes without a female trainer present."

"_Please, _Dr. Bolton!" she begged as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "It hurts so bad, and my vision's kind of blurry. My friend Scott always says what a good doctor you are. Don't doctors have to take some kind of oath about helping people?"

Scott was one of the football players, a nice young man that Troy enjoyed working with. His resolve began to waver.

"Let me call Jamie and see if she can meet us here," he offered, rounding his desk and picking up the phone. He punched in Jamie's number and grimaced when the call went directly to voice mail. Next he tried Matt's number, but he didn't answer either.

Troy turned back to face her, and grew concerned when she swayed on her feet.

"Okay, let's go to the training room," he acquiesced.

She nodded, turning to precede him out the door. Walking slightly behind her, he took in her swinging ponytail—bottle blonde if her dark roots were any indication—her muscled legs, and her form-fitting workout clothes. She paused in front of the training room's closed door, and he leaned in to unlock it. She swayed again, and he automatically steadied her with a hand on the small of her back. Her head sagged into his shoulder, and he craned his neck to make sure she wasn't losing consciousness. With his other hand, he opened the door and switched on the lights.

"Come on," he urged. Inside the room, he gestured towards the nearest training table. "Have a seat."

She blinked against the brightness of the fluorescent lights, and Troy turned off one of the switches. He went to a nearby supply cabinet and retrieved a few items, and then pulled a rolling stool from against the wall and sat on it in front of her, resting his clipboard on his knee.

"What's your name?" he began.

"It's Cassie. Cassie Nichols."

"What's today's date?"

"Uh, October… fourth? Twenty-eighteen."

"When is your birthday?"

"December tenth." She flashed him a smile. "I'll be 21."

"Congratulations." He made a note on his clipboard. "Okay, I want you to follow my finger with your eyes. Don't move your head."

Troy moved his finger back and forth across her line of vision, and she didn't appear to have any trouble following it. He scribbled some more notes.

"When's _your _birthday, Dr. Bolton?" Cassie asked.

"Next week," Troy answered vaguely. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Two. Are you married?"

He held up his left hand to show her his ring. "Now how many fingers?"

"Four. Any kids?"

His eyes narrowed. "One on the way. Let's keep this about you, not me. Show me where you hit your head."

She rubbed a spot on the back of her head, and he stood to reach where she pointed. It was against his very nature not to help someone in need, but he was acutely aware that he should _not_ be alone in a training room with a female student.

"I don't feel a knot or anything," he commented, palpating around her scalp. "Are you sure this is where you fell?"

"Maybe it was on the side," she amended, covering his hand with hers. "The whole thing's kind of fuzzy."

Troy pulled back his hand and grabbed the small flashlight he'd brought from the supply cabinet. He turned it on and then walked over to switched off the other set of lights, plunging the room into darkness except for the corridor lights outside the open door. He approached her again and stooped to her level, shining the light in first one eye, and then the other. She flinched against the brightness.

"I know it's bright, but try to keep your eyes open," he instructed. "I'm checking to see if your eyes are dilated. It's a common sign of concussion." Seeing nothing, he straightened. "Are you feeling dizzy or nauseous?"

"I feel… weird. I don't know, it's kind of hard to describe." She stood and moved forward, her body too close to his. He started to take a step back, but she grabbed his arm, moving closer until her breasts skimmed his chest. "I feel like… like I want you to kiss me."

Appalled, Troy wrenched his arm out of her grasp and stalked over to turn the lights back on.

"We're done here," he barked. "Get out."

"But… but, what about…?" she stammered. "I don't think I can make it back to my dorm alone."

"Well, you're going to have to try," Troy said gruffly.

Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "I'm… I'm so sorry, Dr. Bolton. I didn't mean anything… I'm not thinking clearly. I'm so embarrassed… please forgive me. I'm so sorry." Without another word, she turned and ran out of the training room.

He stepped out into the hall just in time to see her turn the corner at the end of the hall. _Damn it, _he muttered under his breath. What was he supposed to have done? He probably shouldn't have let her leave with a possible concussion, but he sure as hell wasn't going to spend any more time alone with her. He put away supplies, locked up the training room, and returned to his office. There he sat at his desk, his hand on the phone, debating what to do. Should he call Pete? Report the incident to the cheerleading coach? Or have the trainer check on her tomorrow? He didn't want to get her in trouble—she'd been out of line, but she'd seemed genuinely embarrassed and upset about what she'd done. Finally, realizing he wasn't going to get any more work done that night, Troy shut down his laptop, locked his office, and headed back to his apartment.

...~«ώ»~...

The next morning, Troy was lacing up his running shoes when his phone rang. He grabbed it, hoping it was Gabriella, but when he read the screen, he saw that it was Pete. He pressed the button to answer the call and greeted the athletic director.

"Troy, I need to see you," Pete said without preamble. "It's important."

"I was just about to go for a run," Troy answered. "Can we make it in about an hour?"

"The run can wait," Pete insisted. "You need to get over here now."

"What's going on?"

"Just get over here." Pete disconnected the call, leaving room for no further discussion.

Troy glanced down at his track pants and t-shirt, wondering if he should change. Deciding not to, he grabbed his keys and headed out the door.

Five minutes later, he knocked on Pete's door. When the door swung open, Troy was alarmed by the serious expression on the older man's face. Pete motioned Troy into the room, and when he moved aside, Troy saw that another man was seated beside the desk. He nodded a greeting to him and took a seat. Pete shut the door and circled his desk.

"This is Richard Canfield," Pete introduced. "He's one of the university trustees."

"Nice to meet you." Troy extended his hand, and after the older man shook it, Troy returned his attention to Pete. "What's going on?"

Pete tented his fingers and fixed Troy with a stern look. "Troy, is there something you need to tell me about last night?"

Troy frowned, trying to remember if anything unusual had happened at football practice. "I'm not sure what you're referring to, Sir."

"Were you with a young woman—a _student_—in the football team's training room last night?"

Troy's heart sank. "Look, Pete, I know I'm not supposed to treat other athletes, but she was hurt. She was practicing her tumbling and she hit her head," Troy explained. "She said she'd tried to call her coach and trainers, but couldn't reach any of them. I couldn't turn her away."

Pete leaned forward. "The cheer coach is the one that contacted me. The girl _did _reach her last night—to report that you made sexual advances toward her."

"What?" Shock propelled Troy to his feet. "Sexual advances? I didn't touch her! That's ridiculous! Come on, Pete—you know me better than that!"

"Sit down," his boss ordered. Pete picked up a paper from his desk and began to read aloud. "Dr. Bolton and I have been flirting with each other for a couple of weeks. It was mutual—I thought he was really hot, and I could tell he was into me too."

"That's a bunch of crap," Troy interjected. "I never even met her until last night!"

Pete held up his hand to silence him and then continued. "Last night after practice, he asked me to meet him in his office so we could 'get to know each other better.' When I went there, he was waiting for me and started kissing me. We went to the training room and started making out, and then he told me to go down on him. I said I was embarrassed so he turned off the lights. He was moving really fast, and I got scared and ran out."

Troy was speechless for several long seconds, and the other men stared at him expectantly. Finally he found his tongue.

"Please tell me this is some kind of sick joke," Troy implored. "She's lying! None of that happened! I would never do something like that, especially not with a _student_! You can't seriously believe her!"

The trustee pointed a remote control towards the large TV on the opposite wall, and video footage from the building's surveillance cameras came up. Troy watched the screen helplessly as it showed Cassie walking into his office. Several long minutes later, she reemerged with Troy right behind her. He pulled the door to his office shut and followed her to the training room door. As he unlocked the door, his arm went around her waist, and she appeared to nuzzle into his chest. The door swung open, and the two disappeared inside.

"Would you like to explain the physical contact that we just witnessed, Dr. Bolton?" the trustee asked him sharply.

"She'd hit her head," Troy told them again. "She was dizzy, she stumbled backwards, and I put my hand out to steady her. She leaned on me for support, and that's _it._"

The older men returned their attention to the screen, which showed an empty hallway. Cameras monitored the corridors in the athletic complex, but they were not allowed in offices, training rooms, locker rooms, or workout facilities.

"That's when I was examining her," Troy explained. "I used the standard criteria for assessing and diagnosing concussions."

The men's attention was still focused on the screen, and Troy looked back there in time to see the lights go out in the training room.

"I was checking her vision," Troy rambled on as the knot in his stomach grew. "With a flashlight. Often when there's a concussion, the pupils dilate or the patient's vision blurs. It's a well-documented occurrence…" Troy fell silent as Cassie reappeared on the screen, running out of the training room and down the hall. Then Troy's image appeared in the doorway, watching her go. The university trustee switched off the television and frowned at Troy.

"Nothing happened!" Troy stood again and began pacing in front of Pete's desk. "I swear I didn't make any advances toward that girl! If anything, _she _was coming on to _me!_"

"Then how do you explain this?" Pete asked as he held up a foil package. "It was found under the training table nearest the door. _After _the janitorial staff had been in to clean following football practice."

"A _condom_?" Troy asked incredulously. "My wife is _pregnant_! Why would I need to carry condoms?"

"Maybe you were trying to avoid impregnating another young woman," the trustee accused.

"Never!" Troy turned back toward Pete. "She set me up! Come on, Pete, you can't _possibly _believe that I would do something like that! You know me, and you know how much I love Gabriella. I would never, _ever _do anything to jeopardize what I have with her!" He faced the other man. "The girl said she hit her head. I was trying to help her as a doctor. I did not kiss her or touch her inappropriately or ask her to perform _any _physical acts on me!"

The trustee leaned forward in his chair. "The cheer team's physician examined her this morning. She has no sign of head trauma whatsoever."

"Then she lied to me," Troy argued. "Just like she's lying to you now."

Pete sighed. "Troy, it is university policy to suspend employees who are accused of improper conduct with students. The game tomorrow complicates matters, because as you know, we are required to have a licensed physician on the field. I've placed some calls to other sports medicine programs in northern California to see if they can provide us with a substitute." He leaned forward. "I hope that we can get this matter straightened out today, but if that is not possible, you may not be allowed to be on the field tomorrow."

"This is unbelievable," Troy growled, leaning forward. "You're punishing me for something I didn't do! You're taking her word over mine! How could you do this to me?" Pete looked remorseful, but the university trustee remained stoic.

"Dr. Bolton, the university will consider leniency if you admit to your inappropriate conduct and save us the trouble of an investigation," the trustee told him. "Our attorneys will draw up a statement and you can sign it this afternoon."

"No way!" Troy was at the end of his rope. His fist crashed down on Pete's desk. "I'm not confessing to something I _didn't do_! I swear, if I see that lying bitch…" He stood and began pacing furiously.

"You are not to contact the girl or any of her friends," the trustee droned on. "And you are suspended from contact with the football team until Pete notifies you otherwise."

Troy felt like his head was going to explode. He looked imploringly at Pete, but the older man avoided his gaze. Without another word, Troy turned and stalked out of the room.

...~«ώ»~...

Nearly three hours later, Troy was still pacing. He'd made a difficult phone call to Gabriella, who had handled the news better than he had. She'd been on her way in to teach back-to-back classes, so their conversation had been brief, but she'd promised to call him back as soon as she could. Troy looked at his watch for what felt like the millionth time and sighed. Ten more minutes until Gabriella's second class would be finished and he could talk to her again. _How the hell did this happen? _Troy asked himself. He was so angry and frustrated that he wished he could crawl out of his own skin. A soft knock on his apartment's door jarred him from his dark thoughts, and he stomped over to answer it, ready to do battle with whoever was on the other side. But he was not prepared to open the door and see…

"Gabriella?" His shock lasted for only a moment before he stepped forward and took her in his arms. "I can't believe you're here." He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that she held him as tightly as he held her.

When they separated, he pulled her inside and shut the door. She moved close again and touched his face. "How are you doing?"

"Better now that you're here," he answered honestly. "What about…? How did…? Your classes…?"

"Nick took my Intro classes, and Dr. Lentz is covering the lab this afternoon," she answered. "I couldn't let you go through this alone, Troy."

"Thank you," he sighed. "I was worried that… that you…"

"That I wouldn't believe you?" she finished for him. He nodded. "Troy, I trust you. I already told you that." She chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. "I know I've been… insecure… about things between us since you've been working here, but I believe now, more than ever, that you are committed to me. To _us._"

He reached for her once more. "I love you _so _much," he told her.

"I love you too. We're going to figure this out together." She offered a teasing smile. "See, being married to a lawyer has its perks."

"That's for sure," he agreed.

She released him and returned to the door to pick up her briefcase and laptop bag, and then pulled off her suit jacket and kicked off her high heels. Troy realized belatedly that she'd come straight from work.

"Do you want some clothes to change into?" he offered.

"Not right now." She was already in lawyer mode, pulling papers out of her briefcase and settling at the kitchen table. He joined her there, and she picked up her pen and legal pad. "Okay, now I want you to start from the beginning and tell me exactly what happened."

…..~«ώ»~…..

Troy thought he'd gotten his anger and frustration under control. It turned out, though, that he'd thought wrong. He had just sat through a meeting with Pete and Coach Sterling where the entire situation had been rehashed. Sterling had seized the opportunity to tell Pete that he didn't feel comfortable having Dr. Bolton around his team until the school's investigation was complete. _How ridiculous was that? _Even if the accusation was true, Troy would certainly not be any threat to a bunch of burly football players. He knew Sterling's motivation was to hurt him, and _damn it, _he'd succeeded even beyond his loftiest expectations.

And through it all, Gabriella had been beside Troy, sternly telling Pete that Troy would not sign the statement that the university had prepared. She'd cited a handful of laws that required Pete to provide her with a copy of the surveillance footage. And she'd calmly told both men that when Troy's innocence was proven, there would be a defamation of character suit for them to contend with. Troy had to admire the ferocity with which she attacked the situation. As a lawyer, she was a force to be reckoned with.

Still, she had not been able to convince Pete to lift Troy's suspension, largely because of Sterling's repeated insistence that he was trying to protect his team from an accused "predator." Sterling's use of that term in relation to Troy was insulting and humiliating, and Troy had had to sit there and take it. Gabriella had advised him to say as little as possible in the meeting, and that had included ignoring the verbal jabs that Sterling had made towards Gabriella. By the time Pete had ended the meeting, Troy was seething. He desperately wanted to hit something. Hard. Repeatedly. His first choice would've been Sterling's face, but as satisfying as that would be, he didn't need to get himself in any more trouble.

As they walked out of Pete's office, Gabriella whispered that she needed to use the restroom. Troy dutifully took her briefcase and watched her walk urgently down the hall.

"Never thought you'd be the kind of guy to let his woman fight his battles for him," Sterling mocked from behind him. Troy started walking down the hall toward his office, but the coach followed him. "Do you get off on her being in charge, Bolton?" It took every ounce of control for Troy to keep walking. His hands tightened into fists. "I've got to admit, she looks different, dressed up all nice and professional. Like a pretty little package to unwrap." Troy's steps slowed. His tolerance was stretched to its very limit. "But she's a feisty thing, isn't she, Bolton? I bet she's a little firecracker in the sack. I wouldn't mind taking her for a spin…"

Before Sterling could finish his sentence, Troy whirled and shoved the coach into a recessed doorway, out of the view of the security cameras. There, he pinned him against the wall with his arm against the coach's throat.

"You son of a bitch," Troy spat. "You say whatever the hell you want about me, but I swear, if you ever say another thing about my wife, I will _bury _you! I don't care who you are or what kind of connections you have. You're a sorry excuse for a coach. You lead by insults and intimidation and fear. Well, I have a news flash for you, asshole. _I'm not afraid of you. _I have someone who's behind me no matter what, and that's a hell of a lot more than you'll ever have."

"Are you sure she'll stick with you when you're in jail for assault?" the coach shot back. "My lawyers will have your ass locked up before my team hits the field tomorrow."

"Bring it on," Troy bit out. "It's tempting to take the risk just for the chance to wipe that damn smirk off your face, but you're not worth it."

"You'd better walk away while you've got the chance, Bolton. Otherwise, you can kiss your career goodbye." Sterling shoved Troy off of him and cleared the doorway, only to slam into Gabriella. The impact knocked her backwards, and she fell awkwardly as she instinctively shielded her belly. Troy rushed to her side, and a moment later, Sterling loomed over them. "You've been warned." Without another word, he turned and stalked down the hall.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy was beyond livid. Gabriella sat on the couch in his office, watching quietly as he paced the length of the room. On each end of the room, he found something to hit. On one end, it was a file cabinet. On the other end, it was the bookcase behind his desk. Gabriella couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him so angry and upset. It was unnerving. As he landed yet another punch on the bookcase, she had finally had had enough.

"Troy, stop! You're not accomplishing anything except hurting your hand." He looked at his knuckles and seemed to realize for the first time that they were red and raw. Frustrated, he plopped down on the couch beside her, and she handed him the ice pack she'd been holding on her ankle. That action seemed to snap him out of his funk, and his anger briefly shifted to concern.

"Maybe we should get that ankle checked," he commented.

She sighed. "You already checked it. It's all right."

"It's swollen," he pushed.

"It's _fine_," she insisted. "It twisted when I fell. That's it."

The reminder of her fall was enough to set Troy off again. He stood and resumed pacing. "That son of a bitch. I can't believe he ran you over like that. I should've taken him down when I had the chance." He stopped to point a finger at his wife. "He's behind that girl's accusations against me. I'd bet my career on it."

"The rate you're going, you won't have a career _to _bet. What were you thinking, pulling that stunt out in the hall?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Gabriella's face tightened, and she stood to face him. "Understand what? Coach Sterling is a jerk. You've known that since day one. That doesn't make it right for you to stoop to his level. You're better than that, Troy."

"Are you sure about that?" he challenged. "Maybe I'm _exactly _like that. Why is it so easy for everyone to believe that I made a pass at that girl? Either they don't know me very well, or I'm not quite as honorable as I thought I was."

"I know you better than anyone, and I don't believe for a second that you touched that girl. Doesn't that count for anything?" Troy started moving again, reminding her of a caged animal. "Why are you letting this get to you so much? I know it sucks, but that man out in the hall… that wasn't the man I've known all these years." She couldn't stop the tremble in her voice. "And honestly, it scared the hell out of me."

"What do you want from me, Gabriella?" he shouted. "How many times do I have to get kicked in the nuts before it's okay for me to fight back? Everyone has a breaking point, and damn it, I'm _there. _I need you to support me, not criticize me. Is that too much to ask?"

The look of hurt on Gabriella's face was unmistakable. "I'm here to support you, but I'm not going to let you throw away your career and your reputation just because things are tough. You've worked too hard for that." She paused to study his face. "I've never known you to be a quitter, Troy."

"Well, I hate to disappoint you, but maybe I can't live up to your lofty expectations all the time," he shot back. Maybe if you'd just cut me a little slack…"

A knock on the door interrupted them.

"Hey, boss," Matt greeted when Troy opened the door, seemingly unaware of the argument he'd interrupted. "I came to get the treatment plans for practice." Troy stepped aside to let him in and Jamie appeared behind him. She balked in the doorway when she saw Gabriella.

"Um, Matt, maybe I should meet you in the training room," she stammered.

"No, please stay," Gabriella told her. She took a deep breath to gather herself. "Jamie, this is long overdue, but I want to tell you how sorry I am for confronting you that day in the tunnel. I was out of line, and I hope you'll forgive me." She offered her hand, and Jamie breathed a sigh of relief as she shook it.

In the meantime, Troy had retrieved a manila folder from his desk. "Here you go," he said to Matt. "Do you want to take a few minutes to go over it?"

"Sure, if you can spare the time," Matt replied.

Troy scoffed bitterly. "Right now, I've got nothing _but_ time."

Jamie offered him a supportive smile. "For what it's worth, Troy, we know you didn't do anything wrong. If there's anything we can do to help, just let us know."

"Thanks," Troy muttered.

The trainers moved to sit in front of Troy's desk to look at his notes, and Gabriella sat back down on the couch, reaching for the ice pack.

"What happened?" Jamie asked her.

Gabriella looked at Troy, but he kept his gaze on the papers in front of him. Sighing, she held up one of her discarded shoes. "High heels and pregnancy don't mix very well. Unfortunately, they're all I have with me." She glanced at Troy again. "I left straight from work when Troy called me, so I don't even have a change of clothes. Maybe you can point me towards a store nearby so I can go buy a few things."

"Sure," Jamie replied. "In the meantime, I keep a couple of spare outfits in my locker here, and I'm pretty sure there's a pair of sneakers in there as well. We're about the same size. I'd be glad to loan you whatever you need."

"That would be wonderful," Gabriella smiled. "Thank you."

Jamie glanced at the men, who were discussing treatment plans as if the women weren't even there. "Come on, I'll take you there now."

...~«ώ»~...

Jamie led Gabriella into the large women's locker room, located next to the women's training room and workout facilities. To the left were three long rows of lockers, with showers along the back wall. A row of sinks and toilets was on the right. Jamie strode past two rows of lockers and turned down the third row, with Gabriella limping behind her. When Jamie dialed her combination lock and opened the door, Gabriella gasped. The locker was deep, and there were at least ten hangers on the rack, holding a variety of clothes from workout gear to a blouse and dress slacks.

"A _couple _of outfits?" Gabriella teased.

Jamie shrugged. "I spend a lot of time here, and I like to be prepared. You never know when a handsome co-worker is going to suggest we go out to dinner after practice." She suddenly looked stricken, and rushed to explain. "I was talking about Matt, not Troy!"

"I know," Gabriella smiled. "Troy told me that you two are an item. He seems like a really nice guy."

"He is," Jamie sighed before turning her attention back to the locker. "Anyway, help yourself to whatever you need. I'm going to go back to Troy's office and get caught up on the players' treatment plans. You can find your way back, right?"

Gabriella nodded, and Jamie turned with a wave and walked out. Gabriella looked through the clothing in the locker, passing over the skinny jeans and form-fitting tees and pulling out a pair of elastic-waist track pants and a hooded sweatshirt. Troy didn't have much spare clothing at his apartment, but she was sure she could pilfer one of his t-shirts later. In the bottom of the locker, she found a pair of canvas sneakers and even a pair of clean white socks. She laid the borrowed clothing on the bench that ran down the middle of the row and sat next to them. She started unbuttoning her blouse, but the hurt and stress of the day suddenly caught up with her. Her hands fell to her lap as her eyes clouded with tears. She hated what was happening to Troy, hated what it was doing to him. He was usually a strong, kind, confident man, but since she'd arrived at UCS that day, he'd been angry, bitter, and harsh. She'd seen him angry plenty of times, but this was different. He was off-the-deep-end angry, and she had no idea how to fix it except to figure out a way to get him out of this mess.

She suddenly heard voices approaching, and quickly swiped her arm across her face. Two girls entered the locker room, their spirited conversation echoing off the bare walls. Soon Gabriella heard their lockers open and guessed that they were in the first row. She didn't like eavesdropping on their conversation, and was trying to decide whether she should announce her presence there when one girl's question caught her attention.

"Hey, did you hear about the thing with Cassie and the football team's doctor?"

"Yeah," the second girl answered.

"Do you think it's true?"

"With her, who knows? Ever since she joined the cheer squad, it's been nothing but drama with her. I don't think I'd put it past her to make it up just to get attention."

"True. Especially since everybody's tired of hearing her talk about that stupid car she just got. How can she afford a car like that?"

The second girl scoffed. "Please. She didn't pay for it. My roommate said her brother gave it to her because he bought a new one."

"Oh yeah, Melissa said that's why she missed practice on Monday—because she went to meet her brother to pick it up."

_Go back to the part about Troy, _Gabriella silently pleaded. _Come on, give me something I can use. _She jumped when the girls slammed their lockers.

"Which would you rather do first, treadmill or rowing?" the first girl asked.

"Um… let's do treadmill," her friend answered.

Their footsteps faded, and soon the locker room was silent again. Gabriella sighed and stood to change, her mind humming. One thing she'd learned from her inadvertent eavesdropping—Cassie Nichols had a big mouth. _The bitch, _Gabriella cursed inwardly. Sooner or later she'd slip up, and Gabriella would be there to catch her. One way or another, she'd get to the bottom of whatever the girl was up to. With new determination, she finished dressing, gathered her clothes, slammed the locker door and strode out of the room.

...~«ώ»~...

_A/N: Special thanks to my friend/editor Robin for helping me figure out the intricacies of this chapter. Sorry for the cliffhanger! Chapter 46 will be here before Christmas-my gift to you, faithful readers!_


	46. Searching for Answers

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 46—Searching for Answers**

_A/N: Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad! Glory to the newborn King! There's no way I could've finished this chapter in time if it weren't for the advice and assistance of my dear friend Robin. *HUG* I'm also very grateful for you, readers, and the wonderful reviews you write. I hope you enjoy this Christmas gift from me to you._

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Before returning to Troy's office, Gabriella wandered down the hall in the other direction, needing a few minutes to absorb everything that had happened that day. Troy's angry words had cut her to the core. She acknowledged that he had every right to be upset, but hated that he'd taken it out on her. Nonetheless, she was determined to do whatever needed to be done to clear Troy's reputation, even if she had to do it alone. She came upon the gym, and the unmistakable sounds of bouncing balls and squeaking shoes drew her toward the door. She watched the basketball team as they went through their drills and smiled at the memories of all the times she'd seen Troy run those drills. Somehow the familiarity of the basketball court warmed her and calmed her racing thoughts, and as she stood there, an idea began to form in her head. With a tight smile, she retraced her steps and returned to Troy's office.

Jamie and Matt looked up from the paperwork they were discussing when Gabriella pushed open the partially-closed door.

"Oh, good, you found something that fit," Jamie observed.

Gabriella smiled. "The shoes are too big, but they're definitely an improvement over my heels." She tossed her discarded clothing and the offending shoes onto the couch. "Where's Troy?"

Matt glanced at Jamie and then straightened. "He said he wanted to go for a run to clear his head. He left the car keys for you and said to tell you he'll meet you back at the apartment." He hesitated. "He's _really _worked up about this. I've never seen him so… so…" He struggled to find the right description.

"Out of control," Gabriella finished for him. "We all know he didn't do anything wrong, and I'm not going to rest until I find a way to prove it. Actually, I could use your help." She related what she'd overheard in the locker room. "Troy said that the girl mentioned that she was friends with one of the football players." She walked over and retrieved her legal pad. "Scott Ashton. Do you know who that is?"

"Yeah," Matt answered. "He's a nice kid."

"Good," Gabriella answered. "I need you to convince him to talk to us."

Matt balked. "Hasn't Troy been ordered not to contact Cassie or any of her friends?"

Gabriella nodded. "Troy has… but I haven't."

"But still…" Matt argued. "If Scott tells Coach Sterling, we could all get in a lot of trouble. I don't know…"

"What if one of _us_ talks to him?" Jamie asked, gesturing between Matt and herself. "I stretch and wrap him before practice every day. He'd probably be more open with me than with you."

"It's worth a try," Gabriella agreed. "I'll make a list of questions for you."

"Sounds like a plan," Jamie said. "Let's do it."

...~«ώ»~...

A few hours later, Gabriella stood from Troy's desk to stretch her back. It had been an exhausting day and she was frustrated by how little progress she'd made since Jamie and Matt had left to start prepping the players for practice. Gabriella had tried to grade some papers while she waited, but it was impossible to stay focused on the task. Jamie had popped her head in on the way to the football field to report that she hadn't been able to get any information from Scott. Matt had promised to work on him some more after practice, Jamie had told her, and so Gabriella had decided to stay put at the athletic complex and do as much digging as possible.

Most disheartening, though, was the fact that Troy hadn't returned. Gabriella had called him repeatedly, but his cell phone was turned off. Perhaps it was better that way, she'd tried to convince herself. He could go back to the apartment and calm down, and she could work on the case without interruption. Nonetheless, she longed for his reassuring touch and doting protectiveness. It was hard not to feel hurt by the way he'd left her there to fend for herself, particularly after what had happened with Coach Sterling. Shaking her head, Gabriella sat back down at her laptop and tried to push aside her unhappy thoughts.

Sometime later, Jamie knocked on the door and then stormed into the office, clearly furious. Alarmed, Gabriella surged to her feet.

"That jackass!" Jamie fumed. "I shouldn't be surprised, but I swear, that son of a bitch has reached a new low!"

"What are you talking about?" Gabriella asked.

"Coach Sterling! He spent the whole practice taking potshots at Troy! I've never seen such an unprofessional asshole! By the end of practice, a lot of the players were actually believing the garbage that weasel was spewing!"

Gabriella dropped back into her chair and sunk her face into her hands. _Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse…_

"Are you okay?" Jamie's voice was closer and softer, and Gabriella swiped the backs of her hands across her cheeks, willing the tears to go away. The weight of the day overcame her, and her tears kept falling unchecked. Jamie rubbed her back helplessly, unable to offer sufficient assurances. "I'll be right back," Jamie said abruptly, and a moment later, Gabriella was alone again. She fought to regain control, wishing desperately that Troy was there to hold her and make her feel better. But this time, she had to be strong for him.

In front of her, someone cleared their throat, and she looked up through her tears to see Matt and Jamie in the doorway with a football player between them.

"Look at that," Matt said to the young man. "Do you see what this is doing to Mrs. Bolton? I know you want to protect Cassie, but you have to understand what she's doing to Dr. Bolton's career and his marriage. It's not fair. You said you didn't like how the coach was talking about Dr. B., so dude, do something about it! Please, just talk to Mrs. Bolton. She's a lawyer, and she needs your help."

Embarrassed to be caught in such a moment of vulnerability, Gabriella took a few deep breaths to gather herself and then stood. While she blew her nose and blotted her tears, the young man continued to argue, albeit less forcefully, with the trainers.

"I told you, I don't know anything about what happened with Cassie," he insisted. "I haven't even talked to her since Tuesday."

Gabriella rounded the desk and stared through her scratchy eyes as recognition dawned.

"I remember you," she told him. "You found me the day that I walked to the fountain and my cell phone battery died."

Scott nodded and his expression softened. "Yeah, that was me. Dr. Bolton was going insane trying to find you. He was really worried." He took a few steps forward. "I'm sorry that all this is so hard for you, Mrs. Bolton, and I wish I could help, but I swear, I don't know anything about Cassie's accusations. I really don't."

Gabriella closed the distance between them and touched his arm. "I believe you, Scott. But maybe you can help me with some other information. I understand that you want to protect your friendship, and if you don't feel comfortable answering my questions, then I'll respect that." She glanced towards Matt and Jamie. "I'm sure Coach Sterling wouldn't be happy to know that you're talking to me, so the three of us will agree not to disclose the source of our information. Fair enough?"

The young man nodded along with the trainers, and Gabriella gestured for him to have a seat on the couch. Matt and Jamie left quietly to attend to the other players in the training room, pulling the door shut behind them. Gabriella pulled up a chair, grabbed her legal pad, and sat down.

"First of all, Scott, thank you for agreeing to talk to me," she began. "You said that you haven't talked to Cassie since Tuesday. Did you talk on the phone, or did you see her in person?"

"In person," he answered. "She asked me to drive her to Stockton to pick something up. I don't have an afternoon class on Tuesdays, so I said okay."

"What did you pick up?"

"Um, a car. Her brother just bought a new one, so he gave her his old one. He didn't want to drive all the way to Sacramento, so they agreed to meet halfway."

"So you drove Cassie to Stockton, and then she picked up the car and drove it back to campus," Gabriella confirmed. "Did you meet her brother?"

"Yeah. He was older—probably 30 or so," Scott told her. "He was kind of a weird dude. Didn't talk too much, at least not to me. Cassie said they had some stuff to talk about, so she told me not to wait for her." He frowned. "She was kind of rude about it, like she didn't want me to hear what they were talking about. That kind of pissed me off, considering that I'd just driven all that way for her. I drove back here, and then after football practice, I texted her to make sure she'd gotten back all right. She texted back 'yeah' and that was it. We haven't talked since then. It kind of sucks, too, because she promised she'd let me take the car out for a spin. It's a '16 Mustang GT with a V8 engine, 400 horsepower, custom rims, six-speed automatic, leather seats, and a kick-ass sound system. _Way _too much car for Cassie. All she cared about was the damn color." He raised his voice to imitate his friend. "Ooh, look, it matches our school colors!"

Gabriella hid a smile as she wrote down the description. "Sounds like you know a lot about cars."

"Yeah," he nodded. "'Course, I had plenty of time to check it out while Cass was talking to her brother."

"Do you remember her brother's name?"

Scott frowned as he tried to remember. "It was… it started with a 'C.' Like I said, I barely talked to him, and mostly Cassie called him 'Bro.'" His lips twisted in concentration. "It was one syllable, like Cole or Clark or… Charles." He nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was Charles."

Gabriella added that piece of information to her notes and then looked up again. "How long have you known Cassie?"

"Since freshman year," he told her. "She was in one of my classes, and we were paired up for a project. Then she made the cheer squad last year, and well, the football players spend a lot of time with the girls, you know, on the road and stuff."

Gabriella arched an eyebrow. "Were you two ever... more than friends?"

"No, not really." He ducked his head. "I had a thing for her at first, but she started dating somebody else, and then last year she kind of worked her way through the football team. I mean, we're friends, but that's it. She's sort of… high-maintenance. Everything with her is 'me, me, me.' I like her and all, but sometimes she can be a real bitch."

"What about her character? Has she ever lied to you?"

He hesitated. "Yeah. She, um… well, she's a drama queen. She likes to blow things out of proportion."

"In what way?"

"Well, like if she fell and scraped her knee, she would tell people that she'd torn cartilage or something ridiculous like that. She definitely likes attention."

Gabriella framed her next question carefully. "Like the kind of attention she'd get by saying that a staff member had made a pass at her?"

Scott's eyes darted away, and he rubbed his palms on his pants. "Maybe. But… it doesn't really make sense to me. She doesn't have anything to gain by saying that. She's getting a lot of attention, yeah, but some of it's pretty negative. That's just what I've heard around campus."

"I overheard a couple of cheerleaders in the locker room a few hours ago," Gabriella told him. "They seemed pretty confident that she was lying." She leaned forward and pinned him with a hard stare. "Scott, my husband and I have been together for a long time, since high school. He says that nothing happened with Cassie, and I believe him. She told him that she had hit her head, and he was trying to help her. I know you haven't known him very long, but doesn't that seem more likely than the way she says it happened?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "I, uh… well… I mean, I like Dr. B. I think he's a cool guy. But… I just… I can't throw Cassie under the bus. I just can't."

Gabriella's shoulders sagged. "Okay. I understand." She tore off a corner of her note paper and scribbled her phone number. "If you hear anything, or think of something else you want to tell me, here's my cell number. Call me anytime."

He nodded and pushed to his feet. "I need to go. I… um… tell Dr. Bolton that I hope everything works out."

She forced a smile. "I will. Thank you for your help, Scott."

Without another word, he turned and left the office. Gabriella sighed and rubbed her eyes wearily. At least she'd gotten some information from him. She could only hope that it would be enough.

...~«ώ»~...

By the time Gabriella drove back to Troy's apartment, the sun was setting and her stomach was rumbling. She climbed out of the car, trudged wearily to the apartment, and pushed open the door. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust—the only light in the room came from the television. Troy sat slouched on the sofa wearing track pants and a t-shirt, his damp hair sticking up in every direction. He'd apparently showered after his workout and then run his hands repeatedly through his uncombed hair. Most surprising to Gabriella, though, was the half-full bottle of beer in his hand, as well as the two empty bottles on the floor beside him.

"Where have you been?" he asked crossly as she shut the door behind her.

"In your office, trying to dig up some information we can use," she answered. "If you had your phone on, you would've heard the message I left telling you that."

"Did your 'digging' include calling Mark and my dad? That's why I turned off my phone." He ran his hand through his hair once again. "Just when I thought I couldn't be any more humiliated than I was this afternoon, you have to go and tell my dad and my best friend everything. You might as well hire a plane to fly over the stadium tomorrow with a big banner that says 'Team Doctor terrorizes Cheerleader'. Or maybe you could rent out some ad space on the scoreboard."

She set down her things and put her hands on her hips. "For your information, I didn't call Mark. I called _Kelly. _She was planning to come to the game with me tomorrow, so I had to let her know that I'm already here in Sacramento. And yes, I called your dad because he's worked in athletics for a long time, and I hoped he could give me some advice." Her brows creased. "I understand why you're angry about this situation, Troy. What I _don't _understand is why you're angry at _me._ I'm trying to help you, and all you're doing is snapping at me." She took a few steps forward and nudged the empty beer bottles with her foot. "And what's with the drinking? This isn't like you at all."

"How do you know this isn't how I spend every Friday night in Sacramento?" he shot back.

"Because we usually video chat on Friday nights, and I don't see you knocking back that much alcohol when we're talking."

"Maybe I drink after we hang up. You don't know. I'm a grown man, Gabriella. I can drink as much as I want."

She rolled her eyes and gave up the argument. "Have you eaten dinner?" He shook his head, and she went to the kitchen to search for something to cook. Her phone rang, and she rushed back to retrieve it from her purse. She pulled it out and then handed it to Troy. "It's your dad. _Please_ talk to him." Troy mumbled something under his breath and hauled himself up off the couch. Instead of reaching for the phone, though, he stepped outside the apartment and slammed the door behind him. She'd called Jack because he had a unique ability to get through to Troy when nobody else could. Apparently, though, she was on her own and quickly running out of ideas.

...~«ώ»~...

Well past midnight, Gabriella still sat at the kitchen table, staring at her laptop screen and writing notes on her legal pad. She and Troy had suffered through a painfully silent dinner, after which he'd left to go work out at the athletic complex. When he'd returned, he'd showered again, downed another beer, and then headed off to bed. He hadn't asked what she was working on or suggested she go to bed, but despite the slight, she'd managed to keep her emotions in check. Now, hours later, she was physically and mentally exhausted, yet she refused to give up. She glanced over at the bed where Troy was sprawled. He'd tossed and turned for several hours, but now he finally appeared to be sleeping peacefully. At the same instant that thought went through her mind, he began to stir, and after a few moments he stood and plodded into the bathroom. Gabriella returned her attention to her computer screen, hoping to avoid another argument. When he reemerged, he padded to the kitchen and began opening and closing cabinet doors.

"I need aspirin," he finally muttered. "I'm a damn doctor—how can I not have aspirin in my apartment?"

Gabriella pulled her purse into her lap and fished in it until she pulled out a bottle. "Here."

He took the bottle from her, poured out three pills, and handed back the bottle. Then he went to the refrigerator, opened a bottle of water, and swallowed the pills. Gabriella held her breath, wondering if he would go back to bed, but instead he pulled out the chair beside her and sat.

"Why are you still up?" he asked.

"Just, um… trying to follow a few leads."

"Leads? Like what?"

She quickly recapped the conversation she'd had with Scott, and then pointed to her computer screen. "Scott said that Stockton was halfway between Sacramento and wherever Cassie's brother lives. That means he must live somewhere south of there."

"There must be at least fifty cities and towns in that range," Troy pointed out skeptically.

"Thirty-five," she corrected. "But I'm focusing my search on bigger cities—San Jose, Modesto, Merced, and Palo Alto. I've searched residential listings in all those areas, but came up with nothing. Since Cassie's brother just bought a new car, I'm digging through vehicle registration records in the surrounding counties. I found several registrations under the name Charles Nichols, but so far, none that fit the information that Scott gave me."

Troy frowned. "Vehicle registrations? How do you have access to those? You're not a government employee."

Gabriella chewed on her bottom lip. "It… it's probably better if I don't tell you."

"You can't be serious," he retorted. "You're hacking into government records, aren't you? That's against the law! Geez, Gabriella… on top of everything else, I have to worry about you doing something stupid? Great, now _both _our careers can go down in flames!"

"I'm a _lawyer, _Troy, and I'm well aware of what is or is not against the law," she insisted angrily. "And if you're worried about someone doing something stupid, you'd better go back into the bathroom and take a look in the mirror."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"It means that I'm tired of being your emotional punching bag. I'm sorry that you're in this situation, but damn it, it's not my fault! I'm trying to help you. I believe in you. Why can't you see that?" She closed her laptop lid and glared at him. "Legal Aid is a government agency, and I convinced Sonja Ferrente to give me her code to access state records."

He shook his head. "You're right, you shouldn't have told me. Anyway, it's pointless. In the morning, I'm going to pack up the apartment and get the hell out of here for good. You might as well give up and go to bed."

"I'm _not _giving up," she shot back. "One of us has to keep fighting, so either help me or go back to bed."

Without another word, he stood and stomped back to bed.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy tossed and turned, unable to relax enough to go to sleep. He had been so tightly wound since his meeting with Pete and Sterling that he had an overwhelming desire to crawl out of his own skin. _Everything _about the situation was unfair, and he didn't understand how Gabriella could be so calm about it. He felt like putting his fist through every wall in the apartment. He couldn't stand to be at UCS anymore, and the sooner he could get away, the better. Screw the job, and screw the recommendation he'd counted on. His reputation was damaged because of some lying bitch, and there was nothing he could do about it. There was nothing Gabriella could do about it either, but she was too stubborn to admit it. He wished she'd just turn off the damn light and go to bed.

Sleep must have claimed him, because the next thing Troy was aware of was the sound of a key in the apartment door lock. Squinting his eyes, he watched curiously as Gabriella came in and eased the door shut behind her. _What was she up to? _ he wondered. _Where could she have gone at… _he glanced at his alarm clock… _four in the morning? _She hadn't slept at all, and he didn't know how she was still functioning. As he watched, she limped wearily into the kitchen, dropped her purse on the table, and opened the refrigerator. She pulled out a bottle of water and rested her hip against the counter to take a few sips. Her shoulders sagged with exhaustion, and the glare from her computer screen illuminated the dark lines under her eyes. He noticed that she avoided putting weight on the ankle she'd twisted when she fell. Guilt stabbed at him. She had been nothing but supportive since she'd come to UCS, and yet he'd treated her like crap. Her hand smoothed across her belly, and he wondered if the baby was awake and moving around. He longed to feel the flutter of movement that Gabriella was probably feeling just then, but it didn't feel right to initiate such intimate contact with her after the way he'd been acting.

She returned to the table and sat down, but instead of returning to her online search, she dropped her head into her hands. Soon her shoulders began to shake, and guilt overcame him as he watched her cry out of bed, he approached her and squeezed her shoulder. She looked up through her teary haze, seeming surprised to see him there.

"Why don't you come to bed?" he suggested softly. "You must be exhausted."

She shook her head. "Not until I figure this out. I _have _to figure this out."

"What were you doing out at this time of night?" He couldn't avoid the accusatory tone in his question, but she ignored it.

She sighed. "I was driving around the dorm parking lots looking for the car that Scott told me about. If I can get the vehicle identification number from it, I can trace it back to Cassie's brother."

"What does that have to do with Cassie's accusations against me?"

"Maybe nothing," she admitted. "I just have a hunch that her brother is somehow connected to all this. I don't think the timing of his gift was a coincidence. And it's all I have to go on."

"Well, did you find it?" he asked.

"No. I thought it would be distinctive enough to spot in a parking lot, but I didn't have any luck. Maybe she lives in an apartment off campus."

"What kind of car is it?"

"Ford Mustang with custom rims, V8 engine…" She checked her notes. "Oh yeah, and a 'kick-ass' sound system."

Troy's brow furrowed. "A _red_ Mustang with white trim?"

She frowned back at him. "How did you know that?"

He sat down beside her and covered her hand with his as hope began to blossom inside him. "When I went jogging this afternoon, I took a longer route. I saw that car at an apartment complex a couple miles away."

Her weary eyes lit up. "Come on, let's go!" She pushed to her feet, grabbed her purse and headed for the door before she realized that Troy hadn't moved from the table. "Aren't you coming?"

A slight smile twitched at the corners of his mouth as he glanced down at his boxers. "I hope you don't mind waiting, but I thought I should probably put on some pants before we go."

"Oh. Okay." Flustered, she fumbled for the door lock and finally pulled it open. "I'll, um… wait for you in the car."

...~«ώ»~...

A short time later, Troy walked around the car in question, shining his flashlight in the windows to confirm Scott's description. Gabriella went to the back of the car to write down the license plate number.

"That's odd," she commented.

"What?"

"This plate is from San Francisco County."

"Looks like you should've widened your search area a little farther," he answered.

"But Stockton isn't halfway in between Sacramento and San Francisco," she argued. "Why would anyone go that far out of the way when they could just take I-80 all the way here from the coast?"

"I don't know," Troy replied crossly. "Maybe the guy likes scenic drives. Let's get the VIN and get out of here."

He shined his flashlight onto the front corner of the windshield while he read off the number and Gabriella wrote it down. Then they got back in their car, but instead of turning right to go back to the apartment, Troy turned left.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm hungry."

She shrugged and turned to stare out the window. When Troy reached the fast food restaurant, he rolled down his window to order and then asked if she wanted anything. She didn't answer, and when he leaned over for a closer look, he saw why. She was asleep.

Back at his apartment, Troy got out, unbuckled Gabriella's seatbelt and lifted her into his arms. Her head lolled against his shoulder, but she didn't wake up. He carried her carefully into the apartment and laid her down on the bed. She probably would've wanted to look up the car's identification information right away, but it could wait a couple more hours. Her laptop was closed and Troy didn't know the pass code Sonja had provided, so he ate some of his food, put the rest in the refrigerator, and climbed into bed beside his wife. She hadn't budged from the position he'd laid her in, a testament to how exhausted she'd been. Sighing, he gently kissed her cheek and then rolled over and went to sleep.

...~«ώ»~...

When Gabriella woke a few hours later, there was sun streaming through the windows. She hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep, but her bladder insisted that it was time to get up _now._ After she attended to that, she went to the kitchen to get a drink. There was a note from Troy on top of her laptop: _Out for a run. _She turned on her phone and was surprised to find a message from Scott Ashton. She checked the time and then pressed the Call button, opening her laptop and typing in Sonja's access code as she waited for him to answer. It took several rings, but finally a sleepy voice answered.

"Scott? This is Gabriella Bolton. I'm sorry to bother you this early, but I'm anxious to find out what additional informationyou have."

"Okay," he replied. "I ran into Cassie's roommate, Jessica, at a party last night…" He hesitated. "Please don't tell Dr. B. that I was out last night. We're not supposed to drink when we have a game the next day." She promised to keep his secret, and he hurried on. "Anyway, I asked her if she knew anything about Cassie's allegations against Dr. Bolton, and she said she thought that someone had told Cassie to say that stuff. She heard her talking to someone on the phone last weekend, and it sounded like they were coming up with a good story. She didn't think too much of it at the time, but after yesterday, she realized that there was probably a connection."

"She talked to someone about it _last weekend?_" Gabriella wanted to make sure she'd heard right. "_Before _the alleged incident even took place?"

"Yeah," he confirmed. "She was kinda drunk, but I'm pretty sure that she was telling me the truth."

"Do you think it could've been her brother?" she asked. "I've been searching vehicle records all night, and I haven't found any listing that fits the description for Charles Nichols."

"Oh yeah, that's another thing," Scott remembered. "Jess said Cassie's brother is actually her _half _brother. They have the same mother, but different fathers."

Gabriella's heart sank. "So they most likely have different last names."

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm sorry, I didn't know that when I talked to you last night. Cass doesn't talk much about her family, but Jessica went to high school with her, so she knows more about Cassie's family tree. Her brother—_half _brother—is ten years older, so Jessica doesn't really know him. He had already left home by the time Cassie and Jessica became friends."

"Any idea where they grew up?" Gabriella asked.

"I asked Jess about that," he answered. "They're from Stockton. I wondered how Cassie's brother was going to get back home after he gave her the car, but now it makes more sense. He probably had one of his parents drive him home."

As she listened, Gabriella typed in the information they'd gotten from the car earlier that morning and ran a search. When the results came up, she frowned.

"Scott, are you sure the brother's name is Charles? I have a listing here for Carl, but no Charles."

"Yeah, it could be Carl," he agreed.

Behind her, the door opened and then closed, and Troy gave her a little wave as he walked by. She typed in the vehicle identification number and initiated the search. Several seconds later, a match popped up.

"I think I've got it," she said into the phone. "Carl Rogers, resides in San Francisco." She tilted her head. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

Troy, who had been digging through his dresser drawer for clean clothes, returned to the kitchen. "What did you just say?"

"I got a match on the VIN. Carl Rogers, San Francisco." She looked at him quizzically. "Does that name ring a bell?"

Incredulously, Troy circled the table and came to stand behind her so he could read the computer screen. Sure enough, there it was. Carl Rogers. The same Carl Rogers that Troy had gotten suspended because of his unprofessional conduct when Gabriella had been in the hospital a couple of weeks before. The same Carl Rogers who'd vowed to get revenge.

"No way," he gasped. "Honey, I think you just solved the case."


	47. Setting Things Right

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 47—Setting Things Right**

Troy and Gabriella sat outside Pete's office, or rather, Gabriella sat while Troy paced. His head swam with all that had happened in the past couple of hours. Gabriella had met with Pete and Cassie, and confronted with the evidence, Cassie had admitted the truth. Pete had summoned several members of the Board of Trustees to meet with Troy and Gabriella. And now, the couple waited as the university's governing board discussed what to do with Troy, Cassie, and Coach Sterling.

As Troy paced back toward the office, he glanced at Gabriella and felt his heart tug. She'd redressed in her suit, and had somehow crammed her swollen foot back into her high heel shoe. Her fatigue radiated from every pore, and the dark circles she'd tried to cover with eye makeup were still visible. Yet despite that, she'd been firm and strong all morning, fighting for him, his job, and his reputation. She was fierce, and he was incredibly proud of her. He needed to find a way to thank her…

The door to Pete's office opened, and the older man gestured for them to come in. Troy followed Gabriella in and sat in one of the leather chairs facing Pete's desk.

"Dr. Bolton," one of the trustees—the one Troy had met with the day before—began. "In light of the evidence your wife has presented, we have elected to withdraw your suspension, effective immediately. This incident will be stricken from your employment record, and will not be mentioned in your performance evaluation at the conclusion of your internship. We appreciate your patience and cooperation during our investigation."

Gabriella covered his hand with hers and squeezed. Troy sent her a quick smile and then looked back at the others expectantly.

Pete glanced at his watch. "Kickoff is in less than three hours, Troy. I'm sure the trainers would be glad for your assistance prepping the players for the game."

"Wait, that's it?" Troy asked incredulously. "No apology, no consequences for the others involved? What kind of justice is that?"

"Troy…" Gabriella put her hand on his thigh, trying to silence him, but he brushed it off and stood.

"No, that girl nearly destroyed my career! What's going to happen to her? Is she getting expelled?"

"She has been removed from the cheerleading team, and will go before the student discipline board to decide her status at this institution," one of the trustees answered.

"And what about Coach Sterling?" Troy went on. "I don't want to share the field with him after everything he's done."

"There is no evidence to suggest that he was in any way involved in this incident," another trustee spoke up. "We have opened an investigation based on the reports of his conduct towards you and your wife, and will determine a course of action once we have reviewed all the information."

"Are you kidding me?" Troy was shouting, and he didn't care. He gestured towards Gabriella. "He knocked down a pregnant woman and didn't stop to help her. And that's after he made lewd comments about her."

"Dr. Bolton," the first trustee interrupted sternly. "We saw the security tape of the incident you're referring to, and we also saw that you shoved him into a doorway. Consider yourself lucky that we are choosing to disregard your act of aggression, and let us do our jobs. Meanwhile, I suggest that you do yours."

Gabriella's hand circled his forearm and pulled him back, her fingernails digging into his skin. "Thank you, gentlemen, for your time. Troy, let's _go._"

There was plenty more he wanted to say, but Troy reluctantly followed his wife's lead and stalked out of the room. He stomped all the way back to his office, not turning even as he heard her limping along behind him. He unlocked the door and held it open until she entered and then slammed it shut.

"I don't appreciate being dressed down by my _wife _in front of my superiors," he said angrily.

"What's your problem, Troy? It's over. Your name is cleared, and you got your job back. What else do you want?"

"Justice! I want Cassie and Sterling to be punished for what they've done! You of all people should understand that!"

"We have no control over that," she answered. "I did what I could do, and now all we can do is trust that the others will be dealt with fairly and appropriately."

"Yeah, right," he scoffed.

"I know this has been hard for you, Troy, but it's done. The rest is out of our control, and you have to find a way to let it go, for both our sakes. _Please_."

He stared at her for a long moment, his jaw ticking, and then he nodded slowly. "I'll try."

"Thank you," she sighed.

There was more he needed to say—they both knew it—but right then, he just didn't have it in him. He jabbed his thumb towards the door. "I'd better go… I've got players to tend to."

Hurt flickered across her face, but she drew a deep breath and nodded. "Good luck."

He grabbed the clipboard from his desk, brushed a quick kiss against her forehead, and walked out. He would find a way to thank her, he told himself. _Later. _But first, though, he had a job to do.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy quickly fell back into his pre-game routine, checking players, assembling supplies, and stepping in to help the trainers stretch and wrap the remaining players. And then it was game time, and the team took the field. If Coach Sterling was surprised that Troy was back on the sideline, he certainly didn't show it. Troy suspected that the older man had been warned to stay away from him, and that suited Troy just fine. It was nearing the end of the first half when Troy realized that he didn't know where Gabriella was. He turned and searched the stands behind him, but didn't see her. _Had Pete taken her up to the press box? _He quickly dismissed that idea. After everything that had happened during the past day or two, Gabriella would have no desire to socialize with Pete or the other VIPs in the luxury suite. Hopefully she'd gone back to the apartment to sleep. _Yeah, _Troy nodded. That was most likely what she'd done.

He pulled out his phone to see if she'd left him a message, and sure enough, there was a text from her, sent shortly before the start of the game. He opened the message and frowned at the four words contained there: _See you at home. _Was she referring to his campus apartment, or their real home? Surely she hadn't driven back to San Francisco by herself after sleeping only a couple hours, had she? Troy's thumb hovered over the Call button, but the scoreboard ticked down to zero and the teams ran towards the locker room. _Halftime. _Whether he liked it or not, his call would have to wait.

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy got home that evening, he found Gabriella asleep in the bedroom. After checking on her, he followed his nose to the kitchen, where he found that she'd put a roast in the slow cooker. He lifted the lid and inhaled deeply.

"Excellent," he murmured. He could finish dinner and then wake her up to eat—a good way to repay her for everything she'd done for him at UCS.

He investigated further and found that Gabriella had chopped and cooked the vegetables and baked a pan of cornbread. All he had to do was combine the vegetables with the beef and warm everything up.

Fifteen minutes later, dinner was ready, and Troy returned to the bedroom to wake Gabriella. She'd rolled over, and there was a narrow stretch of skin showing between the hem of her t-shirt and the waistband of her yoga pants. Smiling, Troy sat carefully on the edge of the bed and slid his fingers under her shirt to push it a few inches higher. He laid his palm over her softly rounded stomach, silently willing the baby to move. Instead, Gabriella moved, suddenly rolling away from him and pulling her shirt down as she went.

"What are you doing?" she asked sharply.

"Just wondering if the baby was moving," he answered, puzzled by her reaction.

"You could've just asked me," she returned. "It's not."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were awake. I finished dinner so you could rest. It's ready when you are."

She sat up slowly and rubbed the heels of her hands into her eyes.

"Stanford won."

"I know. I watched the second half when I got home." She scooted to the other side of the bed, away from him, and pushed to her feet. He watched her hobble around the bed towards the bathroom and stood to help her, but she shook off his hand. "I don't need help."

"Let me recheck your ankle. It should be feeling better today, not worse."

She glared at him from the doorway of the bathroom. "You didn't seem too worried about it this morning."

"That's not true," he argued. "I checked it and said that I would wrap it, but I got sidetracked…" She closed the bathroom door, cutting him off. Sighing, he returned to the kitchen.

...~«ώ»~...

After a mostly-silent dinner, Troy cleaned the kitchen while Gabriella settled on the sofa to grade papers. She barely looked up when he sat on the other end of the couch and pulled her feet onto his lap. He gently removed her sock and inspected her ankle, and she sucked in a breath when he touched a tender spot.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I don't think it's sprained. Just a mild strain. I'll wrap it in the morning so it's more comfortable to walk on."

She nodded, her attention still focused on her work, until his fingers began to creep up her calves.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He leaned closer and grinned at her, sliding one hand up to caress her hip. "Thanking you for helping me clear my name at school today." His finger dipped under the waistband of her yoga pants, but she pushed his hand away.

"You're welcome." He gave her a charming grin, but she shook her head. "I'm trying to get these papers graded."

He tried to ease closer again, parting her legs with his chest. "What's the rush? You can do them tomorrow."

"They were due _yesterday._"

Still undeterred, he took the stack of papers off her lap and tried to slide his arm around her.

"Troy, would you please just leave me alone and let me finish this?"

His eyes narrowed, and he pushed to his feet. Without another word, he stalked out of the room, and a few seconds later, the back door slammed. She could predict what would come next, and sure enough, less than two minutes later, she heard the basketball dribbling on the driveway. With a deep sigh, she put her head down and went back to work.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella worked steadily until Troy came back inside, took a shower, checked his e-mail, and then went to bed. She was exhausted, but she waited another half hour before she finally packed up her students' papers and turned off the lights.

In the bedroom, she prepared for bed as quickly and quietly as she could. Troy was lying on his back with his hands behind his head, and when she sat on the edge of the bed, she saw that his eyes were open.

"I thought you were already asleep," she murmured.

"You mean you were _hoping_ I was already asleep," he shot back, sitting up behind her.

"Troy, I'm really tired. Can't we both just go to sleep?"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong. And don't say nothing's wrong, because you've barely talked to me since I got home." He massaged her shoulders gently, and her ire began to fade as her muscles loosened. When he spoke again, his voice was soft and kind. "Come on, baby. Talk to me. Please."

She had steeled herself for the harsh voice he'd been using for the past couple of days, but she couldn't handle the tender voice he was using now. She blinked quickly, trying to contain her tears, and Troy waited patiently. Finally she took a deep breath and sighed.

"I understand how angry and upset you've been the past couple of days." She bit her bottom lip, fighting her emotions. "I need _you _to understand that your words… the way you treated me… it hurt." She squeezed her eyes shut for a few moments, and a fat tear escaped.

He shifted so that he was beside her and cupped her face with his hands. "I'm so sorry, Gabriella. I was a complete jerk, and it was wrong of me to take out my anger on you. I'm sorry for hurting you." More tears slid down her cheeks, and he brushed them away with the pads of his thumbs before he continued. "I couldn't have made it through this without you. I mean that. You believed in me and kept fighting when I wanted to quit."

Her tears spilled over, but she smiled at him. "I'm… so glad it's over."

"Me too." He gently wiped her cheeks before lowering his mouth to hers. She kissed him back for a few moments and then pulled back, the corners of her lips twitching.

"Just so you know, one kiss isn't going to get you out of paying my attorney's fee," she teased.

He grinned. "Lucky for me, there's plenty more where that came from."

...~«ώ»~...

The following Friday, Gabriella sat with Mark and Kelly at one of their favorite restaurants, catching up with her friends while they waited for the guest of honor to arrive. UCS was scheduled to play at Berkeley the following day, so Troy was coming home rather than traveling to San Francisco with the team the following day. Gabriella had also invited Matt and Jamie to join them for the birthday celebration, since the Berkeley game would be Troy's last with the UCS football team.

"So Dr. Grant said that everything's okay?" Kelly asked.

Gabriella had been filling her friends in about her five-month check-up. "My blood pressure is still high, but it's back within the normal range. There's no more sign of infection, and Dr. Grant said the baby's doing fine."

"I'm so glad," Kelly smiled. "You had us worried for awhile there."

Mark nodded his agreement. "Did Troy change his mind about going to your friends' wedding in New York?"

"No," Gabriella sighed. "Zeke and Jasmine were disappointed when I told them, but they understood. Troy thinks it'll be too hard on me to fly across the country." She twisted her napkin in her lap. "I was hoping to get to spend some time with my mom. Once I'm in my third trimester, I won't be allowed to fly at all."

Kelly laid her hand over Gabriella's. "You'll see her for Thanksgiving, though, won't you?"

"I don't know," Gabriella shrugged. "We usually try to go to Albuquerque for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, but Christmas is out this year because of my pregnancy. I hope Mom can make time to come for a visit. Otherwise, who knows when I'll get to see her again."

"Troy just doesn't want to take any chances with your health, Gabi." Mark jumped in to defend his best friend. "After the complications you've had, you can't blame him for being cautious."

"I guess," Gabriella conceded.

Mark glanced towards the front of the restaurant and grinned. "Looks like the birthday boy has finally arrived."

They stood, and Gabriella smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt. As soon as he reached the table, Troy swept her up in a warm embrace.

"Hey, beautiful," he murmured into her hair. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she replied, pulling back to smile at him. "Happy birthday!"

"It is now!" He released her to accept hugs from Mark and Kelly, and then he gestured to the other couple that joined them as they sat. "These are my trainers, Matt and Jamie. Guys, these are our friends, Mark and Kelly Davis."

"Good to see you again," Gabriella greeted them.

"Thanks for inviting us," Jamie smiled.

They took their seats and studied their menus. After the server took their orders, Gabriella cleared her throat.

"So, who's going to win tomorrow, Berkeley or UCS?"

Mark and Troy looked at each other as if she was crazy and answered in unison. "Berkeley!"

"Ordinarily I would say UCS," Matt inserted, "but Berkeley has a leg up since we'll be missing our esteemed leader."

"It'll be interesting to see how the team plays without Coach Sterling," Jamie added. "I'd bet he just about blew a gasket when he found out about his three-game suspension. Especially with the playoffs coming up."

"Speaking of blowing a gasket, I heard that Rogers had to be escorted out of the hospital after Dr. Gould told him he was suspended indefinitely from the residency program," Mark reported. "I kinda wish I could've seen it."

"Good riddance," Troy muttered. "He deserves whatever he gets."

Gabriella put her hand on his thigh under the table and squeezed, reminding him not to get upset. He slid his arm around her and faced Mark and Kelly.

"I wish you two could've seen my girl in action last weekend," he bragged. "I was _so_ proud of her! She was unstoppable."

Gabriella blushed. "Matt and Jamie are the ones that convinced the girl's friend to talk to me. I couldn't have figured out the real story without the information he gave me."

"Go ahead and take the credit," Jamie encouraged her. "You deserve it."

"I'm just glad it all worked out in the end," Kelly put in. "You two make a great team."

"We do," Troy agreed.

"Now that everything's settled, won't you at least _think _about sticking around until the end of the season? It's not going to be the same at UCS without you, Troy," Matt said.

Troy shook his head. "Nope. The next game is two weeks away. The new doctor will be there by then. I'll miss you two, for sure, but I'm done there." He put his arm around Gabriella. "I'm home to stay."

"_After _the Berkeley game tomorrow," Jamie put in before turning to Gabriella. "It's a good thing Matt and I decided to drive separately… with all of Troy's stuff in his car, we would've been packed in like sardines."

She looked at her husband excitedly. "You really are home for good?"

"Yep. I turned in my keys after practice today. I'm all yours, baby."

She squealed excitedly and leaned in to hug him.

"Where are you guys staying tonight?" Kelly asked the trainers.

"I went to college with one of the trainers at Berkeley," Matt told her. "He's got a couple of couches for us to crash on. It actually works out well—by the time the team bus arrives, we'll have the training room stocked and ready to go."

"Okay, no more shop talk tonight," Jamie said lightly. "We're here to celebrate Troy's birthday!"

"And the fact that I'm no longer the only 29 year old in the group," Mark added.

"Whatever, dude," Troy grinned. "You're still the oldest whether you like it or not."

"How about if we give Troy his gifts," Kelly interjected, winking at Gabriella. "I happened to see an envelope in Gabi's purse with Troy's name on it."

Gabriella produced the envelope and handed it to Troy. "This is, um, only part of your gift. I have something else to give you when we get home."

Mark muttered something under his breath about Troy getting laid, and Kelly poked him in the ribs.

Gabriella blushed deeply. "That's not… I mean, it's too big…" Mark chuckled, his mind obviously in the gutter. "No, the _gift _is too big…" Embarrassed, she gave up and threw her napkin at Mark.

Meanwhile, Troy had opened the envelope and was grinning as he read the brochure that had been inside. He looked to Gabriella for confirmation, and she smiled happily.

"Next weekend is my Fall Break, and I've already talked to Dr. Gould about giving you the time off," she explained. "So I thought it would be nice, before the baby's born, if we spent a few days away together…" She bit her bottom lip, and Troy turned the brochure around so the others could see.

"Monterey Bay? How romantic!" Kelly exclaimed.

"Whoa, man, you can catch some awesome waves at Carmel Beach this time of year!" Mark added.

"And the spa at Pebble Beach is _amazing!_" Kelly went on. "I'm so jealous!"

"Thank you, sweetheart," Troy told her, leaning in for a kiss. "This is incredible!"

"Not yet," she whispered, her lips close to his ear. "But it soon will be."

The other couples pulled out gifts for Troy as well, and he tried his best to concentrate on opening them and responding appropriately. His pants had suddenly gotten too tight, and what he really wanted to do was throw his wife over his shoulder and take her home. She winked, following his train of thought, and then started to sing. The others quickly joined in.

"Happy birthday dear Troy, happy birthday to you!"

...~«ώ»~...

It was nearing sunset when Troy pulled into the parking lot of their hotel the following Wednesday. They'd left San Francisco right after Gabriella's last class to drive down the California coast towards Monterey. The first part of the drive had been familiar—Troy had made the trip from Berkeley to Palo Alto hundreds, maybe _thousands,_ of times while they were in college—and Gabriella had dozed from San Jose to Santa Cruz. The last part of the trip, however, had been pure torture. _Good _torture, but still torture. Gabriella had teased him mercilessly, leaning over to nibble his ear, stroke his thigh, and "accidentally" brush her hand over his crotch. And then she'd begun to talk about his beach fantasy, still unfulfilled since Hawaii. Nearing his breaking point, he'd finally told her that if she didn't stop, he would drive them directly into the ocean to cool off. Now that they'd arrived and he didn't have to keep his focus on the road, he fully intended to pay her back.

Ever since she'd recovered from her hospital stay and he'd permanently returned from Sacramento, her second-trimester super-charged libido had returned with a vengeance. Troy planned to take full advantage of her wild, wanton ways. He smiled as he remembered the book he'd tucked into his suitcase—_The Expectant Couple's Guide to Sizzling Sex During and After Pregnancy. _Though Taylor had _loaned_ the book to Gabriella, Troy was pretty confident that it would never find its way back to Albuquerque.

"This is so beautiful!" Gabriella exclaimed beside him.

He laughed. "Don't sound so surprised—you're the one that picked this hotel. By the way, just because you planned this trip doesn't mean that you get to plan all the activities. I reserve the right to make a few grand romantic gestures of my own."

"Fine with me." She leaned into his side and slid her arms around his waist, and he grinned down at her until her hand strayed down to pinch his backside.

"Hey!" he protested. "I _just_ managed to get cooled off enough to go inside. Knock it off, unless you want to stand out here all evening, because I'm _not_ going to the check-in desk with a hard-on!"

She threw back her head and laughed. The sound delighted him. Waggling his finger at her, he went to the trunk to unload their luggage and then took her hand and led her toward the hotel lobby. She was right—it _was _beautiful, built right on the ocean with pristine beaches on either side. At the front desk, while he stood waiting for the room key, she hugged him from behind, intentionally rubbing her hardened nipples across his back. He was _so _going to get her for that…

"Here are your keys, sir," the man announced, handing them over the counter. "Your suite is on the fifth floor. Enjoy your stay!"

"Suite?" he asked Gabriella as they walked to the elevators.

"We've got a lot to celebrate," she explained. "Your birthday, finishing your field assignment at UCS…"

He squeezed her hand. "Not to mention the fact that we're going to be parents in four short months."

"That too," she agreed happily.

On the fifth floor—which was the topfloor of the hotel—Troy slid the keycard into the slot and pushed open the door to their suite. He stood back to let Gabriella in first, and then followed her, open-mouthed.

"A _suite?_" he gasped. "This is only a little smaller than our _house!_"

She smiled over her shoulder as she walked through the living room. "Our house doesn't have ocean views like this."

He nodded his agreement as he followed her. The living room was huge, and since they were in a corner suite, large windows lined two walls. Between the living room and the bedroom was a massive bathroom with a large glass shower, a sunken tub, and a long marble countertop.

"Troy, come look at this!" Gabriella called from the bedroom. He followed her voice and gasped again. Though the bedroom was relatively small, it didn't seem that way due to the windows lining the facing walls. In the far corner, between the two sets of windows, was a fireplace. Sliding glass doors on the left opened out onto a wide balcony, and he stepped out to join Gabriella, sliding an arm around her waist. The ocean was directly below them, with the beach spreading out beyond the hotel walls on both sides. The view was breathtaking.

"Wow," he exclaimed. "This is amazing! I think I may just spend the whole weekend out here!"

She glanced behind them, a slow smile spreading across her face. "I don't know… it'd be a shame to let that nice big bed go to waste."

She reached for his zipper, obviously ready to quit talking and try out the nice big bed, but he stopped her. Her lips dropped into a pout, and he chuckled.

"I need to go get the rest of our stuff out of the car."

"Now?" she whined. "See, if you had just let me carry my own bags, you wouldn't have to go all the way back down there. I'm not an invalid!"

"No, you're not an invalid, but Dr. Grant said you should avoid lifting heavy stuff, and let's face it, honey, you don't pack light. I just don't want to take any chances."

She crossed her arms, obviously frustrated, which was exactly what he was going for. Turnabout was fair play, and she'd made him plenty frustrated on the drive down. He leaned down to kiss her pouty lips, and then forced himself to walk away.

"I'll be back in ten minutes," he called over his shoulder. And, he thought, it would damn well be worth the wait.

...~«ώ»~...

After ten of the longest minutes of Troy's life, he crept back into the suite and set the bags on the floor. Gabriella was still standing on the balcony, but she'd changed into a light, wispy skirt and loose peasant-style top. She'd let her hair down, and the curly strands tumbled down between her shoulder blades. The wind wrapped the filmy material of the skirt around her legs, and as Troy moved closer, he nearly swallowed his tongue. He could see not only the curves of her legs and hips, but also the lacy panties she wore underneath. Looking closer, he realized that her top was translucent as well, though he couldn't see any sign of a bra underneath. _Damn. _Who was this woman, standing out on a balcony in see-through clothing? Inspired by her unusual bravado, an idea took shape in Troy's head. Quickly he toed off his shoes and stepped out onto the balcony behind her, caging her against the railing with his arms.

"Hi," she said, still staring out at the bay.

"_Hi?_ Ten minutes ago I left a beautiful college professor in this room, and now it seems she's been replaced by a sexy little nymph."

"Maybe you shouldn't have left," she replied innocently.

"Oh, trust me, I'm not complaining," he replied. She tried to turn to face him, but he pressed her into the railing with his body. She was wearing platform shoes that compensated for their difference in height, and so his erection nestled solidly against her backside.

"Troy," she breathed. "Let's go inside. _Now._"

"I don't think so." He leaned closer so his mouth was right behind her ear. "What are you doing out here wearing this? Did you want all those people down there to see your panties?"

It was a bit of an exaggeration—a handful of people were on the beach to their left, and a small boat bobbed in the surf several hundred feet offshore—but Gabriella's sharp intake of breath told him she hadn't considered that others could see her. She tried again to turn and make her escape, but Troy's firm body held her in place.

"Troy…"

"Do you want to know what I think? I think that you got a little horny while you were waiting for me. Did you put on these panties because you like the way they rub you? Did they turn you on?" He palmed her backside. "Did you touch yourself while I was gone? Did you touch your pussy, baby?"

Her breath hitched; she was turned on by his dirty talk. "Yes," she whispered.

"Did you make yourself come?" She shook her head. "Don't lie to me, Gabriella. You made yourself come, didn't you?"

She shook her head more insistently. "I didn't… I tried, but I couldn't. I needed you to make me come."

"I'll make you come, but you have to promise to be very quiet," he told her. Still holding her against the rail, he dipped his hand under the elastic around her waist and slid his fingers across her panties. She tensed and slipped out of her naughty girl character.

"Troy, maybe we shouldn't…" The rest of her sentence disappeared when his fingers traced across her core.

"It's okay, sweetie." He felt the need to reassure her before pushing her into a situation that she was uncomfortable with. "It's a private balcony. Nobody else on this floor can see us. And the people on the beach and in the water—they're too far away to see that I'm touching you like this."

"What if they have binoculars?" Her voice was a throaty whisper, and he grinned. She was back into the fantasy.

"Then they'll say, 'Look at the gorgeous, sexy woman up on that balcony.'" He lowered his voice to match her throaty tone. "They won't know what I'm doing to you. They won't know that I'm rubbing you through your panties." His fingers did as he said and she gasped. "They won't be able to feel how wet your panties are." He nipped at her ear. "Did you get wet thinking about me, baby?"

"Yes," she answered helplessly. "It took you too long to come back."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise." His fingertips slid along the elastic of her panties and then dipped below. The pad of his middle finger slid across her clit, and she cried out. He pulled back. "Remember what I told you? You have to be very quiet." He pointed to a group of teenagers farther down the beach. "You don't want those kids to know what I'm doing, do you?" She shook her head, and his fingers dipped back into her folds. "That's why you have to be quiet. So they don't know that my finger is inside you." He inserted his middle finger into her as he said it, and she gasped. "Does that feel good?" She nodded. "Do you want me to make you come?" She nodded again, more frantically.

Her hips began to grind against his hand, and he slid another finger inside her, pumping slowly. She grew frustrated and quickened the pace, riding his fingers. His free hand found the hem of her top and slipped underneath. Sure enough, there was no bra there.

"You took your bra off," he said in her ear. "You were standing out here so all the men could see your tits, weren't you?"

"No," she argued. "I just like how my shirt rubs against my nipples. It makes them hard."

As if to confirm her words, his fingers crept up to flick and roll first one, and then the other. He felt the vibration of her chest when she moaned, and he knew she was close. Her backside pressed harder against his erection, and he bit his bottom lip to fight the building pressure.

"Gabriella," he whispered. She turned her head to look at him, her eyelids heavy. "I'm going to make you come with my fingers as soon as you promise to be quiet." She nodded. "Say it."

"I promise," she said.

"You promise what?" he prodded.

Her voice was thick with frustration. "I promise to be quiet when you make me come."

Troy plunged his fingers in deep and pressed her clit with his thumb, and she came apart in his arms. He held her as her body shook, but true to her word, she didn't make a sound. While she began to relax, Troy's tension was building. Seeing and feeling her climax only made him more desperate for his own. The bed was ten steps away, but he couldn't wait. He opened his straining fly to grasp himself and then lifted the back of Gabriella's skirt. She was still in her post-orgasmic haze, so she didn't realize what was happening until he tilted her hips back, pulled her panties to the side, and penetrated her. She gasped when he slid all the way in.

"Troy, what are you doing?" she hissed.

Incapable of speech just then, he leaned into her body and let out a slow breath. She squirmed in his arms, but now that he was finally inside her, he planned to stay there for a long, long time.

"Troy! We can't have sex out here on the balcony!""

He spread his legs wider, allowing him a few more blissful centimeters of penetration, and circled his arms around his wife.

"I hate to tell you this, honey, but we _are _having sex on the balcony. Right now." He swirled his hips to emphasize his point.

"But… What about…?" She gestured helplessly at the people below.

"They can't see anything. Our clothes are still on. From where they are, we're just a couple standing on our balcony." He pulled her hair aside and nipped the back of her neck. "Unless they have binoculars."

She shivered. "Maybe they do."

Something in her voice suggested that she was willing, and he pointed at the two men on the boat. "What if those guys are watching us right now? Would that make you hot, baby?" She drew a ragged breath, and he had his answer. "I wonder if they know that my cock is inside you."

"They… they can't see that," she answered. He withdrew partway and thrust back into her. She responded by squeezing her internal muscles around him, and he groaned. "They can't see when I squeeze you like that."

"Do it again," he asked hoarsely. She did, and his control began to slip. His thrusts intensified, although he kept their bodies close together to keep their lovemaking private. His stubbly cheek brushed against her soft one, and she turned her head to kiss him briefly.

"Want you… so bad," Troy grunted behind her. He pumped into her, his fingers biting into her waist. "Getting… close…"

Suddenly he circled his arms around her waist, careful not to put pressure on her belly, and lifted her to carry her inside. Just inside the sliding glass door, he urgently stripped her dress and panties off and shed his pants. He pressed her back against the wall, lined up, and rammed back in. Her arms tightened around his neck and she whimpered, but when he looked at her face, it showed bliss, not pain. He reached down to stroke her clit and she shattered. Her legs shook so hard that she would surely have fallen if he wasn't holding her against the wall. He slowed his pace slightly, watching her face. When she began to relax, he pounded into her, lifting her feet off the ground. His brain was only able to form one thought.

"Make me… come… in you," he begged. She dug her fingernails into his bare back, and he exploded with a hoarse cry. Wave after wave of orgasm shuddered through him into her, until he doubted that there was an ounce of fluid left in his body. He held her there, pressed against the wall, until he trusted his legs enough to carry them both to the bed. There he laid her down and curled up beside her. She slid her arms around him, basking in the afterglow and enjoying the feeling of connectedness.

"Wow," she panted. "That was… intense. Incredible."

He grinned. "Yeah."

"Why did you move inside to finish?"

He pushed a stray curl behind her ear and twisted his lips sheepishly. "I knew I couldn't be quiet."

Her jaw dropped and she pushed at his chest. "After you kept insisting that _I _had to be quiet?"

He captured her hand and laced their fingers together. "I'd say it worked out pretty well for both of us."

Gabriella smiled softly. "Yeah, it did."

They lay together as their bodies cooled and their breathing slowed. Troy touched his wife's face tenderly.

"You're… exquisite," he murmured.

She smiled drowsily. "You're incorrigible. I can't believe we just had sex on the balcony." She chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. "I wonder if the sunrise out there is as nice as the sunset was."

He chuckled and rolled over to set the alarm clock. "I don't know, but we're sure as hell going to find out!"

...~«ώ»~...

_A/N: P.S. This chapter is rated M... Surprise! :-)_


	48. Monterey Magic

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 48—Monterey Magic**

_**A/N:** Thanks once again to Robin for her ideas, advice, and support._  
**This chapter is rated M.**

* * *

After a late breakfast the next day, Troy headed to Carmel Beach to surf and try out the new skim board Gabriella had given him for his birthday. Gabriella had considered going to the spa while Troy was surfing, but she'd opted to sunbathe at Carmel Beach instead. It was unseasonably warm for October in Northern California—the predicted high was almost 90 degrees—and she'd donned her bikini under a short ruffled sundress. Seated on a beach lounge, she pulled out her book as Troy did a couple of warm-up runs and then paddled farther into the surf.

He let several medium-size waves go by before finding the one he wanted. Gabriella watched him push up on the board and stand. He looked magnificent. With his disheveled hair, low-riding board shorts and impish smile, he could easily have been mistaken for a college-age beach bum. His body, though, was all man. His chest was broad and chiseled from years of physical training, and his biceps were enough to make women swoon. Gabriella fanned herself, thinking about how amazing it felt to have those arms wrapped around her. And how much she loved tracing his pecs and abs with her fingers when they lay together after making love. He was spectacular—and he was hers. Even after all the years they'd been together, that thought never failed to make her heart skip a beat.

She laid a hand on her stomach, still covered by her dress. Because of her morning sickness early in the pregnancy, as well as her recent hospital stay, she'd gained less than ten pounds so far. Her belly protruded only a few inches, but for a woman who'd worn the same size clothing since high school, she definitely had moments of insecurity about her changing figure. Especially when it seemed that everyone on the beach had just stepped off a movie set or fashion runway. Pencil-thin blondes in string bikinis, ruggedly handsome muscle men. _Troy could give any of those guys a run for their money, _she thought proudly. Apparently she was not alone in her assessment—two women walking along the shoreline stopped to watch in appreciation as Troy rode another wave. Gabriella couldn't hear much of what they were saying, but a few words caught her attention: _Hot… drinks… threesome… _And she was pretty sure she heard them make a bet about who could get his number first.

After a few minutes, the women moved to sit on some rocks nearby, and Troy did three more runs before he coasted to shore and stood. Water droplets glistened on his magnificent chest, and Gabriella smiled, remembering her long-ago study of ancient Greek mythology. Troy reminded her of Poseidon, the god of the sea, emerging from the surf with his trident in hand. Okay, so it was a surfboard, not a trident, but it was still a valid comparison. As he neared shore, the two women rushed towards him, each trying to talk faster and louder than the other. Troy simply shook his head and pointed towards Gabriella. They women backed off and continued their trek down the beach, and Troy stuck his board in the sand before walking over to where Gabriella sat.

"Looking good out there," she bragged as he approached.

"Thanks, babe," he grinned.

"Those women thought so too," she teased.

He shrugged a shoulder. "Only one woman here whose opinion matters to me." He sat at the foot of her lounger and rubbed her leg. "How come you're still dressed? Sunbathing is a lot more effective when you actually expose your skin to the sun."

She tugged at the hem of her skirt self-consciously. "I was, um, feeling a little uncomfortable... I mean, things are different now… since…" He frowned, not understanding what she was trying to say, so she gestured towards the other beachgoers with a frustrated sigh. "Look at them… everybody out here is gorgeous and perfect and I'm… I'm…" Her eyes dropped, and she laid a hand on her belly.

"Whoa, whoa, time out," he interjected. "No one is allowed to insult the woman I love."

"But…" she began to argue. He put up his hand to stop her.

"Come here." He stood and pulled her to her feet. In one fluid motion, he pulled her dress over her head and dropped it onto the lounger. He looked down at her bare toes and then slowly, meticulously, he raked his eyes up her body, taking time to appreciate every inch of her skin.

"Troy!" She hissed, wrapping her arms around her bare belly. People nearby were watching them.

His gaze reached her face, and he simply smiled as he scooped her up in his arms and carried her toward the water. Ignoring her protests, he walked straight into the ocean, not stopping until they were in chest-high water. He set her feet down, but kept his arm around her back, supporting her in the surf. The water was cooler than she'd expected, and it took her a few moments to catch her breath. Finally, she crossed her arms indignantly.

"Why did you do that?"

He glanced toward the shore and then pulled her hips into his groin. She gasped when she felt him—he was hard as a rock. He slid his hand through her curls to cradle her neck.

"That's what you do to me, Gabriella," he told her firmly. "You make me so hard I can barely see straight. I didn't react that way to any other woman on this beach. _Only you._ You are beautiful and sexy, and _damn, _you look good in that bikini."

"But… you've seen me in a bikini before," she argued softly. "And even less than that."

He shook his head slightly. "I can't really explain it. Nobody but me has seen your abdomen since you started showing. But out there on the beach just now, people were looking. Everyone could see that you're pregnant, and that it's my baby inside you. Sweetie, you are _beautiful._ You've always been beautiful, but now that we've made a baby together… there are no words to describe how much stronger my feelings are for you."

"Oh, Troy," she breathed, sliding her arms around his neck and initiating a steamy kiss. His hands roamed her body underwater, touching her stomach, fondling her backside, thumbing the undersides of her breasts. When she finally broke the kiss, they were both breathing hard.

"Any questions?" he teased.

"Is that why you really brought me out here? So you could feel me up under the water?"

"Are you complaining?" Troy grinned.

"Absolutely not!"

"Good. Then I'm going to try out my skim board and do my best not to look at the hot pregnant woman sunning on the beach behind me. Which will be pretty much impossible. I might as well give up now, take you back to the hotel, and have my wicked way with you."

"Not yet." She shook her head. "This 'hot pregnant woman' has some sun to soak up, not to mention how turned on I get watching you surf."

Troy smiled broadly as they headed back toward the shore. "Sounds like a winning combination for both of us."

...~«ώ»~...

The next morning, Troy and Gabriella drove down the coastal highway to Big Sur. The scenery was breathtaking, with the Santa Lucia Mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. In spots, the road veered away from the ocean to take them through groves of majestic redwood trees. Their destination was a small cluster of state parks about thirty miles from Monterey. Once there, they enjoyed a picnic lunch, and Gabriella, in one of her pregnancy-fueled bursts of energy, insisted that they take a hike that looped around from the redwoods to the coast and back.

Back in Monterey, they ate dinner at a nice restaurant a few blocks from their hotel, and then Troy suggested that they walk back on the beach. They kicked off their shoes and walked hand-in-hand along the moist sand as the sky darkened.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," Troy told her for about the twentieth time that evening. She was wearing the same flowy skirt she'd worn that first night on the balcony, only this time she wore the satin underskirt that made it appropriate to wear in public. Troy was certain she'd worn it to drive him crazy. And it was working.

"Thank you," she replied softly. She reached over with her opposite arm to grasp his thick bicep, and he smiled down at her. "Look!" she suddenly said, pointing out to the water. "Are those dolphins?"

"Looks like it," he answered. They stood still for several minutes, watching the pod swimming slowly south. They didn't often see dolphins in San Francisco because of all the ship traffic in the bay. Troy checked his watch and squeezed Gabriella's hand. "Come on, let's go."

"What's the rush? Do you have another date tonight?" she teased.

He winked at her. "What makes you think _this_ date is over?"

"Do you think, just because you bought me dinner, that you're going to get something from me?" She tried to look put off, but a smiled tweaked the corners of her mouth.

"I'm hoping!" He pulled her closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. She snuggled into his side.

Soon she pointed again. "Look, Troy, a beach bonfire! How romantic!"

"Let's go check it out," Troy replied indulgently, steering them in that direction.

As they approached, Gabriella hesitated. There was a blanket spread in front of the fire with a bouquet of roses, a basket, and a bottle in an ice bucket, but no one was there. She tried to pull Troy to a stop.

"We shouldn't go any closer. It looks like it's set up for a date."

Troy took a few more steps forward and then turned back to smile at her. "It _is _set up for a date." He held out his hand. "Come on."

"What?" She looked around and gasped. Beside the blanket, there were rose petals that spelled out 'T + G'. "How did you…?"

He came back to stand in front of her and skimmed his fingers down her bare arms. "The concierge told me about a company nearby that sets up beach bonfires. This is all for you, baby."

"Oh, Troy!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "This is incredible!"

"I'm glad you like it," he murmured against her hair. When she loosened her hold on him, he lowered his head to kiss her. Then he took her hand and led her to the blanket and helped her sit. He sat beside her, pulled the bottle out of the ice bucket, and popped the cork. "Don't worry," he told her as he filled two champagne glasses and handed one to her. "It's sparkling water." He held up his glass. "To us."

"To us," she repeated, clinking her glass against his. They both sipped, and then Troy returned his attention to the basket. He pulled out several items and laid them on the blanket, and Gabriella clapped her hands excitedly when she realized what they were meant for. "S'mores! I _love _s'mores!"

"I know," Troy grinned, reaching into the basket again. "And what's a picnic without…?"

"Chocolate-covered strawberries!" she squealed.

He laughed. "You're adorable, you know."

"I bet you say that to all the women you sleep with," she teased.

"So I _am _going to get something from you tonight! Yes!" He pumped his fist triumphantly, and she giggled.

He held out a strawberry for her, and she took a big bite.

"Hey, you took all the chocolate!" he whined, biting off the remainder of the strawberry.

"Oh yeah?" she answered petulantly, tipping her jaw open to give him a view of the fruit in her mouth. "Come and get it!"

He pounced, pressing her back onto the sand, and cradled her head with his hand as he hovered over her. She barely had time to gasp before he covered her mouth with his and swept his tongue inside. She sighed and relaxed into his kiss, her tongue dueling with his. When he finally released her, the strawberry was long gone and her cheeks were pink with desire.

"I miss that," she murmured as he shifted to prop himself on his elbow beside her.

"What's that, sweetie?" he asked, stroking his thumb across her cheek.

"You… on top of me," she whispered. "I know we're not supposed to because of the baby, but… I miss… being with you like that."

Troy pursed his lips, unsure how to respond. She was right—Dr. Grant had told her not to put pressure on her abdomen or to lie flat on her back for more than a few minutes at a time because of the risk of her uterus compressing a large blood vessel.

She sat up self-consciously. "I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the moment."

He sat up beside her and rubbed her back. "Hey, hey, don't even say that. Nothing's ruined. Honey, this is all new for both of us. We're figuring it out as we go along, and we _need _to talk about things like that. I want you and the baby to be safe, but I also want you to feel good when we make love."

Gabriella smiled at him. "I do. Things are great between us."

"Yeah, they are." He leaned over to kiss her cheek and then whispered in her ear. "Since we're talking about what we like, I should remind you that I still have an unfulfilled beach fantasy with you…"

She laughed nervously. "Troy, the sun hasn't even set yet. There are people around…"

"I know," he told her with a wink. "Just… something to think about." He gave her one more quick kiss and then grabbed the sticks provided to roast marshmallows. "How would you like your marshmallow, my dear? Rare, well done, or extra crispy?"

She reached over to grab one of the sticks and took a marshmallow from the bag. "As I recall, the only way you know how to cook marshmallows is flambéed." She slid her marshmallow onto the stick and held it out towards the fire, carefully avoiding direct contact with the flames. "I prefer a more subtle approach."

Meanwhile, Troy had stabbed two marshmallows onto his roasting stick and moved closer to the fire. "Flambéed? Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?" She started to answer, but then, as if on cue, his marshmallows caught fire. He pulled them back and blew them out, but all that was left was charred remains. Pouting, he pulled them off the stick and threw them into the fire.

Gabriella couldn't contain her laughter. "See, I was right! I rest my case!"

"That was just a practice run," he insisted. He put two more marshmallows on his stick and tried again. Five seconds later, they were on fire. "Damn it," he muttered. "It's because we're on the beach. The wind keeps blowing the flames around." Frustrated, he dug back into the bag.

"Open up," she said sweetly. He turned, and she stuck her perfectly toasted marshmallow in his mouth. He chewed it slowly, rolling it around on his tongue, while she watched expectantly. Finally, he couldn't stall anymore.

"Okay, okay, I might be a _little _impatient when it comes to marshmallow-roasting," he admitted grudgingly. She tilted her head and arched an eyebrow. He raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, I stink at it! Are you happy now?"

"As a matter of fact, I am." She reached for another marshmallow, smugly slid it onto her stick, and held it over the fire. "How about if you get out the chocolate and graham crackers, and I'll handle the cooking duties."

He turned towards the basket so she couldn't see his mischievous grin. "Fine, but while I'm waiting, I'm eating the chocolate-covered strawberries."

Her head whipped around. "Oh no, you're not!" Troy burst out laughing and pointed to the fire. Her arm had moved with her head, and her marshmallow was aflame. "You did that on purpose!" she huffed.

He kept laughing, and soon she was giggling along with him. He reclined back on the blanket, propped up on his elbows, and soaked in the moment. The sound of her laughter. The way the breeze blew her loose hair across her flushed cheeks. And the adorable face she made as she concentrated on roasting her marshmallows just right.

An hour later, the fire was dying, they were both stuffed full of s'mores and strawberries, and Gabriella was sitting between Troy's legs, leaning back against his chest. He held her, keeping the blanket around her shoulders since the sun had set and the breeze had picked up. They sat in comfortable silence for awhile, watching the rolling surf and the gulls overhead.

"Thank you for doing this," she sighed. "It was… just beautiful."

"You're welcome," he murmured, gently kneading her shoulders. He smiled when she let out a soft moan.

"That feels… so good…" Her voice was low and smoky.

He kept kneading, and after a few minutes, her head lolled to the side. "Hey, you'd better not be falling asleep on me. The hotel's not far away, but I'm not sure I want to carry you there." He brushed aside her hair to kiss her neck. "I'd rather save my energy for when we get back to our room."

"I think we should just sleep right here on the beach."

He chuckled and tucked her head under his chin. "I wasn't talking about sleep, babe, but if you're interested in _other _activities on the beach, I'm all ears." He held his breath, waiting for her answer, until a fat drop of water hit his forehead. "What the…?"

Gabriella shrieked and scrambled to her feet as more and more drops splattered on them. "We're going to get soaked!" She hurriedly shoved the remaining food into the basket and then turned back to Troy, who was standing casually nearby. "Why are you just standing there?"

He tipped his head back to let the rain slide down his face. "It's been awhile since we've danced in the rain. What do you say?"

For a moment, she stared at him like he was crazy, and then she laughed and curtsied. "I'd love to."

And so, as the fire sputtered out, they laughed, squealed, and danced in the rain.

...~«ώ»~...

When Gabriella woke the next morning, Troy's side of the bed was vacant. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around and saw that the balcony door was open. She made a quick trip to the bathroom and then pulled on a robe to cover her thin nightgown. The air was chilled by a light misty rain as she stepped out onto the balcony. Troy stood by the railing wearing a t-shirt and track pants and holding a steaming cup of coffee. She padded up behind him and slid her arms under his shirt and around his waist.

"Good morning," he greeted warmly.

"Mmm," she hummed, resting her head on the indent of his back while she traced his abs with her fingertips. She knew every firm ridge, line, and plane by heart, but she never tired of touching his chiseled body.

"Hey, that tickles," he chided, turning to put his arm around her shoulders and pull her into his side. He leaned down to kiss her, and she moaned softly.

"Coffee," she sighed, looking longingly at his cup. She could taste it on his tongue.

"Sorry, babe. I came out here so you wouldn't have to smell it." He sat the cup on the patio table to his right and stared back out at the ocean.

"Is it supposed to rain all day?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"What are we going to do?"

"Well, _you're _going to spend some quality time at the hotel spa. They have a prenatal massage specialist. I booked a block of time for that plus whatever else you want."

"What about you?" she frowned.

"I'm a big boy," he teased. "I'm sure I'll be able to entertain myself for a few hours."

Her lips twisted thoughtfully and then her face lit up. "You should come with me!"

"Baby, I'd do just about anything for you, but I'm not into frilly spa treatments."

"They have a fitness center," she pointed out.

That caught his attention. "Seriously?" She nodded. "Okay, I guess I could spend some quality spa time with my favorite girl."

"I'm glad you feel that way," she smiled. "Because they also have couple's massages."

He put up a hand to stop her. "Hey, I just said no frilly spa treatments."

She frowned again. "I _know _you've had massages before."

"Honey, there's a big difference between getting rubbed down by a trainer after a game and lying in a room with candles and incense and tinkly music."

Gabriella pulled out her secret weapon and jutted out her bottom lip into a pout. "Please, Troy? It would be a nice way for both of us to relax. Please?"

"We've done plenty of 'relaxing' the past few days, don't you think?" He winked down at her and then scowled. "No, don't start with the pouty lip and puppy dog eyes. You know I can't say no to that!"

"I _do _know," she murmured.

" If I do this, you are never, ever allowed to breathe a word about it to Mark."

"Okay," she answered with a smile. "But just so you know, Mark and Kelly got a couple's massage in Hawaii. Kelly said he loved it."

Troy scoffed. "I'm sure those were Kelly's words, not Mark's."

Gabriella scanned the horizon thoughtfully. "You're right, that's what Kelly said. _Mark _said that only men who are secure with their manhood could handle it." His head whipped around, and she knew she had him. She bit her bottom lip hard to keep from laughing at the pained look on his face.

I'm secure with my manhood," he muttered. _"Mark's _the one who grew up with two sisters. He practically had 'sissy' tattooed on his forehead when I first met him."

"So if Mark can do it, you can certainly do it," she pointed out.

He raised his hands in surrender. "I guess so. But only after I get a good, manly workout in first."

Her laughter finally escaped. "Deal."

...~«ώ»~...

Stepping off the treadmill, Troy lifted the hem of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat off his face. He'd pushed himself through a hard workout, _not _to prove his manhood, but to make up for the previous two days that he hadn't been to a gym. He'd also seen Gabriella watching him through the glass wall that separated the fitness center from the rest of the spa. Her smiles and heated stares had motivated him to do more reps, lift more weight, and run a few more minutes. She'd gotten a mani-pedi and a natural facial, since chemical treatments were off-limits. It was almost time for their massage, so he ducked into the locker room for a quick shower. Though Troy was still not sold on the idea of side-by-side massages, he knew Gabriella was excited about it, so he was doing it to make her happy. And if a massage made her loose and uninhibited, all the better for him on their last night at the resort.

After his shower, he wandered towards the massage rooms that Gabriella had pointed out earlier, looking for her along the way.

"Are you Troy?" a young woman asked him. He nodded, and she extended her hand. "I'm Megan. I'll be your masseuse today. If you'll follow me, we'll get set up." She led him into one of the massage rooms and pointed to one of the side-by-side massage tables. "I'll give you a few minutes to undress, lie down, and cover yourself with that sheet. I'm going to go see if Elsa needs any help getting your wife ready."

When the door closed behind her, Troy did a quick scan of the room. The colors were dark and muted, and scented candles burned on shelves on the walls. He had to admit, at least to himself, that it _was _a relaxing environment. He stripped down quickly and climbed onto the table that Megan had pointed to. When he was settled on his stomach and properly covered, he glanced over at the massage table next to his. Beside it was a pile of foam wedges, thick pillows, and extra sheets to position Gabriella, since she couldn't lie on her stomach. The tables were arranged in the shape of a V, so their heads were close together, but the masseuses could still walk between them.

There was a light knock on the door, and then Megan came in, followed by Gabriella and Elsa, her prenatal masseuse. In comparison to Megan, who was a young, petite brunette, Elsa was older, thicker, and more matronly. Her fair hair, threaded with gray, was pulled up into a braided knot, and laugh lines bracketed her eyes. She fussed and clucked over Gabriella like a mother hen, and Troy instantly liked her. Gabriella deserved to have that kind of loving, maternal attention during her pregnancy, and she certainly wasn't getting it from her mother.

"Okay, little mama, let's get you settled," Elsa told Gabriella with a charming hint of a Swedish accent. She pulled out a stepstool beside the table, and Gabriella removed her robe and carefully climbed onto the table. Elsa and Megan guided her to lie on her side, facing Troy, and they draped fabric over her breasts and hips.

"And who is this handsome man you've brought with you today, kära?" she asked while she slid a pillow under Gabriella's abdomen and another under her head.

"This is my husband, Troy," Gabriella answered with a giggle.

"Ah, so you're going to be a papa!"

Troy smiled broadly. "I am."

"And what a pretty girl you have chosen to share your life with!"

"I couldn't agree with you more." Troy winked at Gabriella.

"Are you comfortable, kära?" Elsa asked indulgently.

"Yes, thank you," Gabriella replied.

"If you feel any pain or just need to change positions, you tell me right away, ja?"

"I will." She glanced across to Megan, who'd moved into position beside Troy. "He's never had a massage before."

Megan smiled down at him, rubbing her hands together. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of you."

"I'm sure you will," Troy answered. She pulled his sheet down to his waist and poured warm liquid on his back. When she began to knead his shoulders, he had to hold back a moan. It was heavenly. Next to him, Gabriella _did _moan when Elsa's hands went to work, and he reached across to cover her hand with his. She somehow looked innocent and sexy at the same time, and Troy was glad that he was lying on his stomach to hide his arousal. Her eyes locked with his, as if she knew what he was thinking, and she gave him a soft smile. He held her gaze, and her hand, until Elsa quietly told her it was time to shift.

Fifty minutes later, Megan had finished with Troy, and he lay watching Elsa knead Gabriella's lower back. The blissful look on Gabriella's face gave Troy an idea.

"Elsa, can you teach me how to do that?"

"You would like to try? Ja, she will need it more and more in the coming months."

Troy looked around, suddenly remembering that he was naked under his sheet. Megan turned from the sink and pointed to a robe she'd left at his feet. He felt awkward, but the two women were professionals, and politely averted their eyes until he was suitably covered. He circled the table to stand beside Elsa. She pointed out the muscle group he should target, showed him how to position his hands, and then let him give it a try. He was cautious at first, not wanting to hurt Gabriella, but Elsa coached him, guiding him as he became more confident.

"This will be very good for you to do when she is in labor," Elsa told him. "It will help relax her muscles so the baby will come out easier."

Troy wasn't sure that was medically accurate, but he was on board with anything that made Gabriella more comfortable during labor. He hadn't given much thought to the baby's birth, and he looked down at Gabriella, imagining what it would be like when they were hours—or even minutes—away from having their own little girl or boy.

"Oh!" Gabriella suddenly tensed, and Troy's attention snapped back into focus.

"Did I hurt you, honey?"

"No…" She looked over her shoulder and reached for his hand. "Troy…" She laid his hand on the side of her abdomen, and he felt movement. Not the tiny little flutter he'd felt a few times, but a solid, definite movement. The baby shifted and squirmed under his hand, leaving him dumbstruck.

"Wow…" he said breathlessly. "That's… incredible."

Gabriella covered his hand with hers, smiling at the wonder on his face. He'd never felt such a powerful connection to his wife and their child.

"What a beautiful little familj," Elsa murmured behind them. "So much älskar."

"Älskar?" Troy questioned.

"Love," she translated. "So much love."

Troy smiled proudly. She was absolutely right.

...~«ώ»~...

Sunday morning, Troy stood in the massive bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and wiped steam from the mirror over the sink. _One _of the sinks. The vanity ran the length of the room, with two large sinks connected by a massive marble countertop. They were leaving the resort shortly after noon, and Troy had wanted to linger in bed with Gabriella, but he'd awakened feeling grimy from the massage oils Megan had used on him. He'd snuck out of bed to shower and shave, hoping to crawl back under the covers before she woke up.

He'd spread shaving foam on his face and taken a couple of strokes with the razor when Gabriella appeared in the doorway.

"Hi," he started.

"Hi yourself." She folded her lip into a pout. "This is the second time on this trip that I've had to wake up alone." She came over to stand behind him and threaded her arms around his waist. "I've done that enough for the past few months."

He patted her hand before he resumed shaving. "I'm sorry, babe. I was planning to come back to bed. You just woke up before I got there." He winked at her in the mirror. "I would be more than happy to rejoin you there as soon as I finish shaving."

Her curves molded into his back as she moved closer and began playfully stroking his bare chest. "I'm not feeling very patient this morning."

He groaned when her hand dipped lower, loosening the towel from around his waist. It pooled around his feet, leaving him bare to her touch. She wrapped her hand around his penis, and he sucked air between his teeth.

"Sweetheart, that's not going to help me shave any faster," he breathed.

"I think it's a great motivator," she murmured against his back. "Because when you're done, you can turn around, and I'll get on my knees in front of you…"

Troy returned his attention to the mirror and finished shaving at a frantic pace, not caring how many times he nicked himself. The whole time, Gabriella's palm stroked the underside of his penis, and she kissed and licked the hollow of his back. The satiny fabric of her camisole slid across his back as she pressed her breasts into him. He moaned, and she smiled against his skin.

"Do you like that, honey?" she teased.

"Hell, yeah," he forced out.

"I have a confession to make. I didn't like seeing Megan rubbing all over you yesterday."

Startled, he caught her eyes in the mirror as she peeked over his shoulder.

"Gabriella, I…"

"I think that the whole time she was rubbing you, she was wishing she could rub you like _this._" She gripped his erection with her fist. "But she can't."

"Why not?" he asked, catching on to her game.

"Because you're mine." She raked her teeth across his back, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Do you like knowing that you're the only woman who touches me like this?" he rasped. "The only woman who's _ever _touched me like this?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I love your body. I don't want anyone else to touch you but me."

"Baby, I'm all yours."

"Good answer." She tugged at his hips, urging him to turn around, and as promised, she dropped to her knees on the towel in front of him.

"Gabriella…" He lost the ability to form words when her lips closed around him. She swirled her tongue around his tip and pumped the base of his erection with her hand. She looked up at him with those bottomless brown eyes and smiled. "Ohhh…" Her lips widened to take more of him in, and his hands fisted in her hair. His hips began to move involuntarily, thrusting into her mouth. Her gaze never strayed from his, and when she pressed her fingernails into his backside, he very nearly lost it. "Stop," he ordered hoarsely. She stayed where she was, and he tugged at her hair to halt her movement. "Baby, you have to stop. I can't take much more."

She released him and sat back on her heels. "That's the idea."

He shook his head. "I love having your mouth on me, but I don't want it to end like this. I want to be inside you."

"But…" she started to argue, but he hauled her to her feet and kissed her hard. In a moment, she was kissing him back, returning his passion. He turned her and lifted her, sitting her on the marble countertop. He spread her legs to stand in between them and slid his hand up her leg to touch her panties. She moaned into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You're wet," he whispered in her ear. She nodded. "You're wet for me, aren't you?" Another nod, more emphatic this time. "Do you want me to put my finger in you?"

"Troy, please…" Her hips wriggled against his hand, and he teased her through the fabric of her panties before pulling them to the side and dipping a finger inside. She panted and sighed as he fondled her and nipped at the spot behind her ear that drove her wild.

He suddenly pulled away, and her eyes flew open just as he lifted her. She wrapped her legs around him and held on as he carried her out to the bedroom. Instead of laying her on the bed, though, he settled her on the couch and knelt in front of her, pulling her panties down her legs and off. He lifted her camisole over her head and then parted her legs with his broad shoulders.

"Look at me, baby," he said. When she did, he dipped his head down and tasted her. Her hips lurched forward, grinding against his face, and he reached up to touch one of her breasts. She covered his hand with hers and stroked herself with him, first one breast, and then the other. Her rapid breaths and pulsing flesh told him she was getting close to the edge, but she pushed him away as suddenly as he had done to her in the bathroom. He looked up, and she smiled dazedly.

"If you won't let me finish on you, then you can't finish on me."

"It's different," he argued. "You recover faster than I do."

She simply shook her head and patted the cushion beside her. "Come here."

He rose and sat beside her, and without preamble she threw her leg over him to straddle his lap. He expected—wanted—her to sink down on his straining erection, but instead she set about to torture him. She rotated her hips, grinding against his leg, rubbing herself on his penis, and moving back and forth over him enough to rush him to the edge again. He tried to lift her onto his erection, but she squirmed away.

"Put me inside you," he urged huskily. "I need to be inside you."

She rose up over him and sank down onto him, and they both groaned at the same time. Her nipples caught in his chest hair, and he leaned forward to take one in his mouth. Her back arched, and she began to squirm on his lap. He grasped her hips and helped her rise up and sink back down on him. She rotated her hips, taking him deeper inside, and together they worked into a slow rhythm. After awhile she stopped and leaned forward, resting her head on his shoulder. Sensing her fatigue, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck.

"Are you okay?"

"Take me to bed," she whispered. "I want you to hold me and make love to me."

Troy offered her a tender kiss before standing with her and carrying her to the bed. As soon as they were lying face to face on their sides, Gabriella slid her leg over his in invitation. He scooted forward so that her legs bracketed his hips and pressed his erection to her opening. She moved closer, trying to draw him in, but he teased her, sliding his tip through her wet folds and circling her clitoris. Her open-mouthed breaths against his chest told him that her climax was approaching, and just as her legs began to quiver, he plunged into her. She cried out, her fingernails biting into his shoulders, and he held himself still inside her as her inner walls spasmed. When she finally began to relax and looked up at him with heavy-lidded eyes, he brushed a damp curl off her face.

"You make me crazy when you come like that," he told her softly.

"It's you," she answered. "I lose control when you're inside me."

"Good, because I'm not finished with you."

"Good." She nipped his bottom lip with her teeth, and he covered her mouth with his, sliding his tongue in to tangle with hers. He began to thrust into her, slowly at first, trying to keep himself under control. That worked until she started rotating her hips, quickening the pace. He tried to hold back, but she seemed determined to push him to the edge.

"Baby, slow down," he warned.

"I can't," she answered, her voice needy. "You're so hard—I can't stop. I want more. Please, Troy!"

He dug his fingers into the soft flesh of her backside, pulled back, and rammed into her. She gasped his name, spurring him on. She writhed and twisted against him, chanting his name and begging him for more, making him desperate for climax. Soon they were both slick with sweat, and Troy's muscles flexed as he held her body against his. He was about to lose it when Gabriella threw her head back in a silent scream. Her muscles squeezed his penis so tightly that stars dotted his vision as he cried out and exploded inside her. His orgasm pulsed on and on, milked by the contractions of hers. When their muscles finally began to release, they remained intimately connected, short of breath and unable to move.

Gabriella recovered first, feathering kisses on his chest and jaw. His arms tightened around her in a tender embrace.

"I love you, baby," he finally murmured into her hair.

"I love _you_. I want to stay like this the rest of the day."

He chuckled, a low rumble deep in his chest, and kissed her forehead. "Rest, my lover. We'll need our strength for round two."

"Mmm," she hummed, nuzzling her cheek against his chest. "Round two, huh? That sounds perfect to me."


	49. Returning the Favor

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 49—Returning the Favor**

"Yo, Bolton! Hold up!" Mark called as he jogged down the hospital corridor to catch up with his friend on Tuesday.

Troy turned with a smile and slowed his pace. "Hey, man! What's up?"

"Just wondering if you're free for lunch. I want to hear about your trip to Monterey." Troy grinned, and Mark put up a hand. "_Just _the surfing part, not the lovey-dovey stuff with your wife. Did you get to use the skim board? I helped Gabi pick it out, you know."

"Yeah, you've mentioned that once or twice." Troy chuckled. "You were right, the surf at Carmel Beach was awesome! And since you brought it up, the 'lovey-dovey' stuff was pretty damn good, too."

Mark rolled his eyes, and the two men started walking again. "What day are you off this week?"

"Sunday," Troy answered.

"Me too! What do you say we do some surfing?"

Troy hesitated. He hadn't been surfing with Mark in months, not since he'd been away at UCS, but he and Gabriella had talked about starting their baby registry on Troy's day off. Mark seemed to read Troy's thoughts.

"It's cool, man. Kelly already talked to Gabi. They can do the baby shopping while we're riding the waves."

"But shouldn't I have some input in the baby registry?" Troy argued. "If it's a boy, I don't want him stuck in a nursery with filled with flowers and lace."

Mark scoffed. "I'm sorry… Who are you, and what have you done with Troy Bolton? Because the guy I've known all these years would _not _pass up surfing to go look at cribs and car seats and pacifiers."

"We'll see how you feel when you're an expectant father." Troy shrugged a shoulder, and his voice softened. "I've missed so much of Gabriella's pregnancy, and she's had such a hard time… I want to be there for her and, you know, help her out any way I can."

Mark nodded in understanding. "How's she doing? Is her blood pressure still high?"

"No, it's actually dropped quite a bit. She has her six-month ultrasound in a couple of weeks, but it seems like everything's going smoothly."

"Good," Mark replied. "She's one hell of a fighter."

Troy smiled. "Yeah, she is."

"Okay, how about this? We'll go out first thing Sunday morning, and then the girls can meet up with us for lunch. That'll give you and Gabi all afternoon to do your baby stuff."

"Sounds like a plan. Thanks, man." He checked his watch. "Got to go."

"Hey, you never answered about lunch today!"

"Sorry, I'm in surgery all afternoon," Troy told him. "Now that I'm back here full-time, Dr. Overman's loading up my schedule with ortho surgeries to make up for the time I missed."

"You love it and you know it," Mark challenged.

Troy grinned. "Yeah, I do."

"Okay, I'll catch you later. Tell Gabi I said hi."

"Will do." With a wave, Troy turned and jogged down the hall. It was great to be back.

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy got home from work on Wednesday, he was surprised to see Gabriella's car in the driveway. He hadn't expected her home until after her prenatal yoga class that evening. Grabbing his duffel bag from the back seat, he hurried up the steps and into the house. He blew out the breath he'd been holding when he saw Gabriella sitting at the dining room table with her laptop open in front of her and papers scattered all around. She looked up and smiled brightly at him.

"Hey, gorgeous," he smiled back.

"Hey yourself," she returned. "How was your day?"

"Great." He bent to kiss her before pulling out the chair next to her to sit. "Surgery, surgery, and more surgery. How about you?"

"No surgeries, but plenty of work." She gestured at the papers that covered the table. "Lab reports."

Troy nodded and lovingly touched her belly. "And how's our little one doing?"

Gabriella smiled and laid her hand on top of his. "Sapping my energy like crazy, but great otherwise."

Troy frowned slightly. "Maybe you're working too hard. You _do _look a little pale."

"I'm fine," she insisted.

The lines on his forehead creased more deeply. "Then why didn't you go to your prenatal yoga class?"

"My yoga class isn't until Wednesday."

"_Today_ is Wednesday."

"No, it's not…" Realization dawned, and she covered her gasp with her hands. "I totally forgot! How could I forget something like that?" Her eyes widened and her voice dropped to a whisper. "It's because you're still here. I'm used to you leaving on Wednesdays."

Troy knew it to be a simple statement of fact, not a complaint or accusation, but her words still stung a bit. This was his first full work week since he'd finished at UCS, and _he_ was still adjusting to the change, but he hadn't considered that Gabriella would grow accustomed to his absence.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I _wanted _you to leave," she rushed on, misunderstanding his silence. "I _love_ having you home…"

He squeezed her hand. "It's okay, honey, I understand. And I love _being _home."

"Good." She pushed away from the table and stood. "I need to go get dinner started."

"Do you want me to do it?" he offered.

She smiled down at him. "Thank you, but no. It won't take me long."

"Do you mind if I use your laptop?"

"Go for it," she answered, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. She squealed when his arm snaked around her waist and pulled her down onto his lap.

"I need a kiss first." He grinned charmingly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to kiss him. He leaned into it, and when she broke the kiss, he carefully set her back on her feet. She smiled and shook her head, and then headed for the kitchen. Focusing his attention on her laptop screen, he minimized her Inbox so he could check his own e-mail. The subject line of one of her messages caught his attention, though, and he brought the screen back up to look at it. It was from the Dean of Stanford's Law School, and the subject line read, "Opportunity—Please Consider."

"Gabriella?" he called, and her head appeared in the doorway. "What's this message from Stanford about?"

She frowned. "You're reading my e-mail?"

"I didn't open it, but it caught my eye. What's the opportunity?"

"It's nothing." She approached, leaned over him, and logged out of her e-mail account. She started to turn away, but he caught her arm.

"Come on, babe. What's the big deal? Just tell me."

She sighed. "The Dean invited me to be a guest speaker for a law seminar they're having in a couple of weeks."

"Honey, that's great! Congratulations!" He stood to hug her, but pulled back when he sensed her hesitation. "Aren't you excited?"

She chewed on her bottom lip. "I'm not sure if I'm going to do it."

"_Why?_ Gabriella, this is an amazing opportunity for you! Why wouldn't you do it?"

Her eyes dropped. "It's… well, it'll be a lot of work to prepare for, and I don't want my classes at Hastings to suffer…"

Troy frowned. "In all the years I've known you, I've never seen you shy away from hard work."

She avoided his eyes. "Troy, please, can we talk about this later?"

"Sweetie…"

"I'm scared, okay?" She looked up at him, challenging him to discount her fear. He frowned, unable to understand, and she looked away. "All those people, staring at me…"

"Baby, you speak in front of law students every day," he argued. "You used to stand up in courtrooms and argue your cases. You're great! Of _course_ you can do it."

Gabriella shook her head. "It's not the same. My largest class is just over 50 students. This seminar is for _all _of the Pre-Law undergraduates at Stanford. Over a _thousand _students! What if I faint? Or have a panic attack?"

He settled his hands on her shoulders. "You won't."

"You don't know that!"

"I know _you_," he insisted. "You don't give yourself enough credit. You are brilliant and gifted, and you can do _anything _you set your mind to. And I'll be in the front row cheering you on." She smiled, but looked unconvinced. "Come on, at least say you'll think about it."

She looked up at him for a few moments and then nodded. "I'll think about it."

"That's my girl," he grinned. "I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks, Troy." She reached up to hug him, and he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. When they separated, she gave him a teasing smile. "Now, if you're finished prying, I'll go make dinner."

He feigned hurt, but laughed when she poked him in the stomach. She headed back to the kitchen, and he sat back down to formulate a plan. She'd promised to think about the speaking engagement, which meant he had time to convince her to do it. He didn't want to push her too hard, but he knew what a great opportunity it was for her. So he would do his best to convince her.

...~«ώ»~...

The Ortho Clinic closed at 1:00 on Saturday, so after work, Troy and Gabriella went to a few stores to get some ideas for the nursery, and then stopped at a home improvement store to pick up paint samples.

"Why so quiet?" Troy asked as they headed for home. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Yes. It's just… I've been focused on my pregnancy, but today, it kind of hit me. In a few months, we're going to have a baby." She looked at him earnestly. "We're going to be _parents_, Troy. I know that sounds stupid, but…"

"It doesn't sound stupid at all. I know what you mean." He took her hand across the car's console. "Today made all of this feel more… real."

"Yeah, it did." She fell silent again, and Troy squeezed her hand.

"Now that we've looked through every imaginable shade of pastel, what are you thinking for nursery colors?"

"I think blue and yellow would be nice for a boy, and green and pink for a girl," she answered.

"That'll be kind of difficult to pull off if we're not going to find out the sex of the baby."

"True," she conceded. "We could go with yellow and green for now, and then add pink or blue later."

He chuckled. "After the baby's born, I'm sure paint colors will be the _last _thing on our minds."

She smiled. "Good point." Her phone rang then, and she pulled it out of her purse. "It's Mom."

"About time," Troy muttered. Gabriella had been trying to reach Maria for several days to tell her about the guest speaking opportunity she still hadn't made a decision about.

"Hi, Mom," Gabriella said into the phone. Maria launched into her usual string of excuses about how she'd been too busy to return her daughter's calls. In the small space of the car, Troy could hear every word, and he struggled to keep from rolling his eyes. Gabriella listened quietly until Maria paused, and then quickly told her about the seminar at Stanford.

"But I'm not sure yet if I'm going to do it," she concluded.

"Well, of _course _you're going to do it," Maria shot back. "It would be stupid not to! Why on earth wouldn't you?"

"It involves a lot of preparation in a short amount of time," Gabriella answered. "Besides, you know how nervous I get in front of large groups."

Maria let out an exasperated snort. "Don't tell me you _still _have that ridiculous fear, Gabi. I thought you would've outgrown that phase by now. See, if you'd spent more time as a trial lawyer, you'd be used to speaking in court."

Troy gripped the steering wheel harder, but said nothing. Gabriella sighed. "Mom, I _like_ my job at Hastings. It's a great fit for me and my interests."

"You can't be an associate professor forever, Gabi. You need to push yourself. Get outside your comfort zone and aspire for bigger and better things. Your career is never going to move forward if you keep hiding behind your fears."

"I'm not _hiding _behind anything! I'm being realistic. I know my limitations, and if you were around more often, you'd know them too."

Maria's voice dropped angrily. "So we're back to that again. I don't see you hopping on a plane to come visit me, either. And Zeke and Jasmine were so disappointed that you didn't come to their wedding. It goes both ways, Gabriella."

That was it. Troy lifted the phone out of his wife's hand. She reached for it, but he waved her off. "Maria, in case you've forgotten, your daughter is five and a half months into a high-risk pregnancy. Flying across the country is not an option for Gabriella right now. What's _your _excuse?"

"My career is important to me, Troy," she shot back. "What about Gabi's? You should be pushing her to accept the speaking engagement, not reinforcing her fears. She's not a porcelain doll, you know."

"You're right," he replied. "She's a grown woman, and she can make her own decisions without influence from either one of us. I'm not going to push her to do something that she doesn't feel ready for. I'm really proud of her, and no matter what she decides, I'll support her, just as she supports me. She needs _your_ support, too, not your judgment. Now, before I give her back the phone, I want you to take a deep breath and lower your voice. The last thing she needs right now is to get upset."

"Fine," she huffed.

Troy handed the phone back to Gabriella and laid his hand on her leg. "Are you okay?" he mouthed.

She nodded and whispered her thanks before returning her attention to the call. Whether or not she did the speech didn't matter to him. He would support her decision. As long as she was okay, he would be happy.

...~«ώ»~...

Early Sunday morning, Troy crawled out of bed to dress and pull out his wetsuit. The weather had cooled considerably in the past few days, so surfing would be chilly. Still, he was excited to surf with Mark for the first time in months. Before he left, he kneeled on the bed behind Gabriella. He slid his hand around her waist to caress her abdomen and kissed her neck until she stirred.

"Good morning, beautiful," he began.

"Hmmph," she muttered into her pillow.

He chuckled and tried again. "Do you want me to fix you some breakfast before I leave? I still have half an hour before I have to meet Mark."

She rolled over to look at him in sleepy bewilderment. "You and Mark are working out this morning? Isn't today your day off?"

"It's my day off, so Mark and I are going surfing. We're going to meet up with you and Kelly for lunch, and then tackle our baby registry this afternoon."

Her frown deepened. "Is Kelly coming over? I wish she would've told me."

Troy's brows creased. "She _did, _sweetheart. Earlier in the week. And we talked about it yesterday, remember? She'll be here in a couple hours to pick you up."

"Oh, yeah," she agreed before snuggling back into her pillow. "Have fun surfing."

"You didn't answer about breakfast," he reminded her. "What about a waffle? Or maybe an omelet?"

She sighed heavily, threw back the covers, and sat up. "Fine, which one do you want?"

"No, no, _I'll _make _you_ breakfast," he corrected with a chuckle, easing her back onto the bed. "I wasn't asking you to make it for me."

"Oh. Okay." She pulled the covers back up around her shoulders and snuggled in.

"So what sounds good?" he pressed.

"Toast," she mumbled from under the covers.

"Jelly and butter?"

"Mmhmm."

He smiled and stood. "Coming right up." Before he made it out the door, though, she stopped him.

"Troy? No jelly. Just butter. And peanut butter."

"Okay. Anything else?"

"Hot sauce." She paused, and then added, "Do we have any mayonnaise?"

He made a face. "I'll check." He went to the kitchen, put bread in the toaster, and set the skillet on the stove to make his breakfast. When Gabriella's toast came up, he held his nose and slathered on the bizarre combination of toppings that only a pregnant woman could come up with. He poured her a glass of orange juice and returned to the bedroom. He circled the bed and crouched down in front of her.

"Here you go, sweetie."

No response. He put the glass and plate on her nightstand, pulled back the cover enough to kiss her forehead, and gently stroked his thumb across her cheek. She barely stirred.

"I love you," he whispered with a smile, and after he kissed her once more, he stood and left, quietly closing the bedroom door behind him.

...~«ώ»~...

An hour later, Troy and Mark stood looking out over the ocean.

"I don't know, man," Troy told his friend. "High surf and fog don't make a good combination. Especially since we've only surfed here a few times."

Mark scoffed. "High surf? My grandma could surf these swells."

"I'd hope your grandma would be smart enough _not _to surf the swells when she couldn't see hazards in the water."

"If it was dangerous, they'd be flying the red flag." Mark nodded toward the nearest unmanned lifeguard tower.

"It's yellow," Troy countered. "Moderate risk."

"Dude, when did you turn into such a girl?"

"If it's such a great day to surf, why are we the only ones here?"

"Look, while you're standing here wringing your hands, I'm going to surf." Mark pulled up the zipper on his wetsuit, grabbed his board, and jogged toward the surf.

Troy shook his head. Mark might be willing to take risks, but for Troy, it just wasn't worth it. The fog wasn't terribly thick, but it was enough to prevent a surfer from visualizing his route as he caught a wave. Troy stood on the beach and watched nervously as Mark paddled out and disappeared from view. Several minutes later he heard a shout, and Mark reemerged atop a 12-foot wave. He glided smoothly to the break and then lowered himself and coasted to the shore.

"See, nothing to it," he crowed. "Come on, Bolton, show me what you're made of!"

"I'm going to stick with the skim board until some of this fog burns off. But don't let me stop you." He gestured toward the water. "Knock yourself out, man."

"Suit yourself," Mark shrugged before turning to paddle back out.

Annoyed by Mark's taunts, Troy turned back to the car to retrieve the skim board Gabriella had given him for his birthday. Sure, he wanted to surf, but for the time being, the skim board would have to do.

...~«ώ»~...

"Here you go, Gabi," Kelly called through the fitting room door. "You definitely need to try this one on."

"Hold on, I can't get this zipper up," Gabriella answered.

"Open up, let me see." Gabriella cracked the door and Kelly walked in. "Oh, that's nice."

"Just nice?" Gabriella was wearing a dark skirt and a tan cotton blouse. The matching suit jacket was draped over the chair.

"Well, it's a little too… conservative… for my taste," Kelly hedged.

"It's for work," Gabriella argued. "It's supposed to be conservative."

"Yeah, but Gabi, it's not _you_. You have such great style—that doesn't have to change just because you're shopping in the maternity section. You can vamp it up a little bit and still look professional for work." She held up the outfit she'd found for Gabriella to try on, a navy pencil skirt—with a maternity panel—and a pale yellow chiffon blouse with a ruffled collar and sheer sleeves. "See, same kind of suit, but it's tailored to fit your curves. And this blouse is way more feminine, with just a hint of sexy…"

"I'm pregnant! 'Sexy' is not in my repertoire right now."

"That's where you're wrong," Kelly pressed. "I think you look great, and trust me, Troy agrees. Now, turn around so I can get that zipper unstuck."

Gabriella turned obediently, and her friend went to work.

"Can you suck in a little bit?" Kelly asked. Gabriella tried, but the zipper still wouldn't budge. "I think you may need a bigger size, hon. The baby must've had a growth spurt this week."

Gabriella sat down and sighed with frustration. "Or maybe my body's been hijacked by runaway hormones. I'm craving weird stuff, I'm clumsy and forgetful, my breasts hurt, I'm exhausted, and my body's blowing up like a balloon. I feel completely out of control in my own skin!"

Kelly squeezed her shoulder. "It's a lot to deal with, Gabi, but it's all normal for this stage of your pregnancy."

"When did you become such an expert on pregnancy?" Gabriella groused.

"Well, I _am _a nurse," Kelly reminded her patiently. "Besides, Becky—my brother's wife—has been through two pregnancies, so I'm familiar with everything that's involved. It's tough now, but you know it'll be worth it in the end."

"You're right." Gabriella laid her arm across her belly and smiled up at her friend.

Kelly winked. "I'm _always _right."

"And a little _loco_ for spending your day off shopping for maternity stuff with me."

"I told you, Gabi, I don't mind! Shopping is shopping, and I'm always up for some retail therapy. Besides, you spent a _lot _of your days off helping me shop for the wedding, so think of this as returning the favor."

"I really didn't mind," Gabriella protested. "It was fun!"

"Exactly my point! Now, stand up so I can give that zipper another go. I'm not letting you out of this dressing room until you try on this outfit I found."

"Fine," Gabriella sighed. She stood, and Kelly was able to get the zipper down. Kelly backed out of the dressing room with a grin and caught the conservative clothes when Gabriella tossed them over the door. A few minutes later, the doorknob turned, and Gabriella stepped out.

"Yes!" Kelly cheered. "That looks amazing, Gabi! Do you like it?"

"I do." A smile spread across Gabriella's face. "And the best part? It fits!"

"See," Kelly nodded smugly. "I told you, I'm always right!"

...~«ώ»~...

The fog had thinned enough that Troy was seriously considering joining Mark out in the waves. He'd enjoyed riding his skim board along the water's edge, but he itched to ride a good wave. He walked back to the car and checked the screen of his phone. He could still fit in several runs before they needed to leave to meet the women for lunch. Nodding to himself, he climbed up to loosen the straps that held his surfboard to the roof of the car. Behind him, he heard Mark whoop just as he had every other time he'd caught a good wave. As Troy pulled the final strap to release his surfboard, Mark yelled again, and Troy turned just in time to see his friend's board slam into an obstacle in the water just beyond the break. The sound of splintering fiberglass reached Troy just as he saw Mark pitch forward into the water. Troy sucked in a breath and watched for a few seconds, waiting for Mark's head to emerge from the surf. It didn't.

Fear unfurled in Troy's gut as he ran toward his friend, shouting Mark's name. As he dashed into the water, Troy was relieved to see Mark's head bob to the surface. Thinking he might have overreacted, Troy slowed his approach until his eyes met Mark's. He was clearly in trouble. Troy dived forward, swimming frantically and dodging splinters of surfboard that floated past him. When he got close enough to see what Mark had hit, he gulped down a wave of fear. There was a cluster of jagged rocks just below the surface of the water. Mark was clutching one of them, trying to keep himself afloat as waves repeatedly battered him.

"Troy, I need help," Mark gasped.

"I'm coming," Troy assured him. "Can you swim to me?"

"Don't know. Current's pretty strong."

"Okay, stay there." As Troy neared the rocks, he grabbed Mark's broken surfboard and realized that it was still tethered to Mark's ankle. "Mark! Let go and I'll pull you away from the rock." Troy yanked the leash, and a moment later, Mark was right in front of him. Pain was etched in every line of his face. A cut oozed on one side of his forehead. "Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere," Mark moaned as he clutched the board to stay afloat.

"Seriously, man, I need to know if you have a spinal injury before I pull you out of the water."

"I can move my limbs," Mark reported. "I think I hit my head…" He lifted his hand to gingerly touch the laceration on his forehead and grimaced. "My back and neck are fine, but my chest hurts like hell."

Troy gave him a tight grin and tried to distract him as he pulled him toward the beach. "Lucky for me, there's a Good Samaritan law in California. Even if I paralyze you trying to save you, you can't sue me."

"I can still kick your ass, though," Mark wheezed. "Damn, why is it so hard to breathe?"

"Quit talking," Troy ordered. Mark relaxed and let Troy haul him to shore. When they reached shallow water, Troy stood, turned Mark onto his back, and gripped him under the arms to pull him out of the water.

"Ow!" Mark growled.

Troy ignored his complaint and quickly checked him over. There were cuts and scrapes covering his bare skin from the sharp rocks, but the area of greatest concern was the chest pain Mark was clearly suffering.

"Stay put. I'm going to get a first aid kit." Troy ran to the car and grabbed his phone, punching in 911 as he dug for the medical kit in the trunk. "I need an ambulance," he barked into the phone. Finding the kit, he described their location to the emergency operator as he ran back to Mark, ending the call just before he dropped to his knees beside his friend.

"Took you long enough," Mark said. "My mom could run faster than… Hey!"

"Sorry, man," Troy responded. He'd pulled out a pair of scissors, and, ignoring Mark's protest, he cut through his friend's wetsuit. The scissors were dull, and it took him a few minutes to make a big enough opening to see the large contusion on Mark's chest. He pressed it carefully, and the sharp pain that resulted seemed to confirm his suspicion. Mark's breath was coming out in shallow wheezes, which worried Troy. "Hold still!"

"Stop making it hurt, then," Mark shot back.

Troy moved to check the cut on Mark's forehead, pulling gauze from the first aid kit to stop the bleeding.

"How does it look?" Mark asked. "Kelly will be mad if there's a scar…"

"Don't talk," Troy ordered. "I'll take care of it."

Mark closed his eyes for a few seconds, and then forced them open again. "It's bad, isn't it?"

"You'll need a few stitches, but lucky for you, you have a hard head."

"I meant…" Mark's gaze drifted away. "The chest trauma."

"I've seen worse," Troy answered. Mark looked at him skeptically, but Troy held his gaze firm. He wanted to keep his friend calm. "You're going to need a new wetsuit, though."

Mark's eyes fluttered shut again. "I'll send you the bill."

"Do that." Troy felt a rush of relief when he heard sirens approaching.

"Dude, tell Kelly…" Mark wheezed.

"Tell her yourself," Troy insisted. "Come on, stay awake, buddy."

Mark gave a slight nod and then stilled as the ambulance pulled into the parking lot. Troy stood and waved to the medics, breathing a silent prayer of thanks for their quick response.

...~«ώ»~...

"Okay, Gabi, let's talk baby names," Kelly began as the women walked out of the department store.

Gabriella shrugged one shoulder. "We haven't decided on anything yet."

"But you and Troy have talked about it, right? Tell me some of the names you're thinking about. Let's start with boy names. Troy Junior?"

"No. He says the baby deserves its own name."

"Okay, what's Troy's middle name?"

"Andrew."

"That one's nice. Is it on the 'maybe' list?"

Gabriella nodded. "I like it, but he's not convinced. If it's a girl, though, he wants to use _my _middle name."

"Rosalyn?" Kelly recalled. "It's pretty. Didn't you say it was after your grandma?"

"'My grandmother's name was Rosa," Gabriella confirmed. "Rosalyn means 'little rose.'"

"Aw, that's really sweet." Kelly nudged her friend. "You know, if it's a girl, she's going to have her daddy wrapped around her little finger. She'll be his favorite girl in the whole world."

Gabriella's chest tightened, and she bit into her bottom lip. Her steps slowed.

"Of course," Kelly went on, "if it's a boy, Troy's going to have him running basketball drills in the driveway as soon as he can walk." She turned, realizing her friend had stopped walking. "Gabi?"

Kelly's phone rang, and she pulled it out of her purse. "It's Troy." She winked at Gabriella. "Watch this." She answered the call and pressed the "Speaker" button. "Troy, your wife is fine. She's only fainted twice, and now she's waiting in line to get a mimosa and some sushi for a mid-morning snack…"

"Kelly…" Something in Troy's voice halted her teasing. "Mark's had a little accident. We're on the way to the hospital. Can you meet us there?"

"Is he okay? What happened? Was he showing off? He was, wasn't he? Put him on the phone."

"Can't right now," Troy said tightly. "Just head over to the hospital. I'll fill you in when you get there."

Gabriella stepped forward to hug Kelly as she ended the call. "I'm sure he's fine," she offered, though she knew Kelly had heard the wail of a siren just before Troy had said goodbye. Kelly looked at her with fear-filled eyes.

"Gabi…" she choked.

"He's fine," Gabriella repeated. "Give me your keys. I'll drive."

...~«ώ»~...

When Gabriella hurried into the ER's waiting room, she didn't see Kelly or Troy. Kelly had barely waited for the car to stop before she'd hurtled out and run for the hospital doors. Gabriella went to the Information desk, and the woman there greeted her with a smile.

"Hello, Mrs. Bolton," she said warmly. "Dr. Bolton is back in the triage area with Dr. Davis. You can wait out here."

"How is Mark?" Gabriella asked anxiously.

"I haven't received an update since he arrived, but I'll let you know as soon as I do."

"Thank you." Gabriella gestured towards the "Authorized Personnel Only" doors to the right of the desk. "Did Mrs. Davis go back there?"

The receptionist glanced around sheepishly. "I told her she should wait out here, but since she works here, she has access…"

Gabriella nodded and moved to a padded seat nearby. She wrapped her arms around her waist and tried to calm her racing heart. Her head swam with worry. _What had happened to Mark? How was Kelly holding up? What if Troy was hurt too? _Her vision began to blur, and she put her head down into the palms of her hands.

She had no idea how much time had passed when she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up.

"Troy!" Relief flooded through her, and she stood up into his arms. He held her tightly, his body practically vibrating with adrenaline. "How is he?"

"At least three broken ribs, and most likely a punctured lung," Troy answered. "Hit his head, too. They just took him upstairs for x-rays and a CT scan. Kelly's with him."

She pulled back to look into his stormy blue eyes. There were a couple of small scratches on his face and neck, but otherwise he appeared to be unscathed. "Are _you _okay?"

"Yeah." He rubbed a hand through his damp hair. "He gave me one hell of a scare, though."

"What happened?"

"The conditions were too dangerous for surfing—I tried to tell him that, but he wouldn't listen. He insisted on going out." Troy blew out a breath. "He ran into some submerged rocks."

"I'm glad you were there with him. He could've been in serious trouble if you weren't."

"He could've gotten himself killed! And he could've gotten _me_ killed trying to pull him out!" Troy's raised voice caused Gabriella to take a step backwards. "He _knew _better, and he went out there anyway. Damn it, he can be such a jackass sometimes."

"Troy, please don't say that," she chided. "I know you're upset, but he's your best friend, and he's hurt. He and Kelly have always been there for us, and now we need to be there for them."

"I know," Troy allowed. "It's just frustrating."

"But he's going to be okay, right?"

"Assuming there are no internal injuries, yeah, he'll be fine. He's going to be sore as hell for awhile, though."

"How's Kelly doing?"

"She's upset, but she's hanging in there." Troy slid his arm around his wife's shoulders, and she leaned into him. She could see the self-reproach in Troy's face, and she smoothed her hand across his chest.

"It's not your fault," she told him gently. "Mark is Mark. He does what he wants to do. You know that."

He nodded, and they stood in silence for a few moments before Troy blew out a long breath. "I need to find a change of clothes."

Gabriella nodded in agreement. He'd pulled on a pair of scrubs over his wetsuit, but he definitely needed clean, dry clothes.

"I think I have something to wear in my locker," he mused.

"Always prepared," she teased. "I like that in a man."

The tight lines of his face softened to allow a hint of a smile. "Good to know."

She touched his face. "I love you, Troy. And I'm really proud of you."

His smile spread and he pulled her close again. "Thanks, babe. That means a lot to me."

Gabriella tucked herself into his chest and held on for a minute before she reluctantly released him.

"You change, and I'll go keep an eye on Kelly," she told him. "Because once she knows Mark's going to be okay, she just might kill him."


	50. Facing Fears

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
Chapter 50—Facing Fears**

Gabriella's stomach was in knots as she stood beside Kelly in the elevator. Mark's tests were finished, and he had been moved to a room in the hospital's trauma unit. The same unit in which Gabriella had spent ten days after being attacked by a colleague two years before. Almost _exactly_two years before. The upcoming anniversary had lurked in the back of her mind for several weeks, but this visit to the trauma unit, which she hadn't returned to since her release, evoked an unwelcome flood of emotions. She closed her eyes, fighting off the panic that tightened her throat. She had to be strong for Kelly. It would've been easier if Troy was there to hold her hand. Since he outranked the second-year Ortho resident who was on duty, he was consulting on Mark's case. The two men, along with a pulmonary specialist, were going over Mark's test results and developing a treatment plan. After that, he'd meet the women in Mark's room to discuss his prognosis.

The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors slid open. Gabriella took a deep breath, willing herself to follow Kelly out of the car.

"Gabi, come on," Kelly urged. When she turned to face her friend, she frowned. "Are you okay?"

Gabriella forced herself to nod. "I… um…. I just got a little dizzy on the, um… elevator."

Kelly gave her a sympathetic smile and linked her arm through Gabriella's. "Come on, honey. I can't have you fainting. Hang on to me."

"Thanks, Kel." Gabriella let Kelly steer her down the corridor and blew out a breath when they made it to Mark's room. Kelly eased Gabriella into a chair by the door and then approached her husband's bed. When she took his hand, his eyes slid open and he gave her a drowsy smile.

"Hey, babe."

"Hi." She leaned down to give him a gentle kiss. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a truck," he flinched. "What's the prognosis?"

"Troy said they'd be up here soon to go over the test results, but I think it's fair to say that you won't be surfing again for awhile."

"I broke my board," Mark pouted. "And Troy ruined my wetsuit."

"You broke a whole lot more than your board." Kelly told him. "And Troy dragged you out of the ocean, so I'd suggest you call it even with the wetsuit." She smoothed her hand through his hair. "You scared the crap out of me, you crazy man."

Mark's usual cockiness was gone as he looked up at his wife earnestly. "I'm sorry, Kelly."

As Gabriella watched their tender exchange, she felt the walls closing in on her. Her throat tightened and her field of vision began to narrow. She had to get out of there. Shakily, she forced herself to stand.

" I… I need to go… go get something to eat," she stammered. "I'm starting to feel light-headed…"

"Yeah, it's past lunchtime," Kelly noted with a glance at the clock. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, no," Gabriella rushed to reply. "Stay with your husband. The doctors should be here soon to go over test results with you. Just, um… tell Troy to meet me downstairs."

Kelly glanced between Mark and Gabriella, clearly torn. "Are you sure, Gabi? I can walk you down there if you aren't sure you can make it on your own."

"Stay," Gabriella insisted. "Are _you_okay? I'm sorry to leave you alone, but…"

"Hey, you have to take care of yourself and that baby," Kelly answered. "I'll send Troy down to the cafeteria as soon as he's done here."

Nodding, Gabriella moved forward to hug her friend and then squeeze Mark's hand. "I'm glad you're going to be okay."

"You and me both," he smiled. "I'm glad Troy was there when I needed him. Just… don't let his ego get too out of control."

"I'll do my best."

With that, she turned on her heel and escaped. She nearly ran down the hall toward the elevator and punched the button until the doors closed. When she reached the ground floor, she turned away from the cafeteria and instead pushed open the wide doors of the hospital chapel. Once inside, she stumbled to the nearest seat, dropped her head into her shaking hands, and took deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She forced her thoughts away from the haunting memories and focused on her baby. It needed her. She needed to calm down for the baby. But she had no idea how to do that.

...~«ώ»~...

Sometime later, Gabriella looked up from her barely- touched lunch to see Troy weaving through the cafeteria toward her. He smiled when he caught her eye. As soon as he reached the table, she stood into his arms.

"Are you okay?" he murmured. "Kelly said you weren't feeling well upstairs."

"I just needed to get something to eat," she answered as he released her and eased her back into her seat. "What's the word on Mark?"

He pulled out the chair next to her and sat before answering. "Three broken ribs, a small lung puncture, and a mild concussion. We're keeping him overnight for observation, and Dr. Overman will check him out first thing in the morning."

"So he won't need surgery or anything like that?" she asked.

"His lung should heal itself within a day or two. The ribs he broke are middle ribs, which typically heal faster, but it'll still be four to six weeks. He'll be on painkillers for awhile. Broken ribs hurt like hell."

"I know," Gabriella replied quietly. "I remember."

His brows creased, but before he could reply, a woman in scrubs approached the table with lunch tray in hand.

"Dr. Bolton, I'm so sorry to interrupt…"

He smiled up at her. "No problem, Lisa. This is my wife, Gabriella."

"Nice to meet you," Gabriella said, offering a handshake.

"Likewise," she replied before turning her attention back to Troy. "How is Kelly's husband doing?"

"A few broken ribs," Troy answered. "He'll most likely go home tomorrow or Tuesday."

"Good," she sighed. "Would you tell Kelly and Mark that we're thinking of them?"

"You bet," Troy told her with a smile. After the woman walked away, Troy turned back to Gabriella. "She's one of the nurses in Kelly's unit."

"Word travels fast," Gabriella commented.

"That's the truth. Hey, I'm going to go grab something to eat. I'm starving." He glanced at her plate. "Do you need anything?"

She forced a smile and shook her head. "Go on. You've had a busy morning."

"Okay. I'll grab something for Kelly while I'm there. I'll be back in a few." He stood and bent to kiss her, and a moment later, he was gone.

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy climbed into bed that evening, he was absolutely beat. After several more hours at the hospital, he and Gabriella had driven Kelly's car back to the beach to retrieve Troy's car. After dinner, Troy had gone to cut the grass at Mark and Kelly's house. By the time he'd gotten home, Gabriella had already been curled up in bed. He climbed in beside her and carefully tucked his body in behind hers. She'd been quiet all evening. Something was off with her, something beyond the stress of the day that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Was it the looming deadline for her to decide whether to accept the speaking engagement at Stanford? Or was she upset that they hadn't done their baby registry as planned? Something niggled in the back of his mind—something he felt he should recognize or remember—but he was far too tired to worry about it that night. Whatever it was, it would keep until morning.

...~«ώ»~...

_Gabriella was in danger. A man—an evil man—stood over her. She was hurt and afraid. She needed to get away from him. She started to crawl toward the door, but his foot suddenly connected with her right side. She felt something crack inside, and she cried out in pain. She rolled away from him and curled into a fetal position, clutching her stomach and gasping for breath. She realized that her belly was rounded and cried out._

"_I'm pregnant! Please, don't hurt my baby!"_

_Above her, there was a sinister laugh, and then he kicked her again. Air whooshed out of her lungs, and she curled her body tighter, trying to protect her unborn child._

"_Please…" she gasped. She couldn't manage any farther argument because she couldn't draw a breath. With a final cry, she slipped into darkness._

_When she regained consciousness, she was lying on her back with her arms tied above her head. She was in tremendous pain, but she told herself that she had to keep fighting for her baby. A choked sob rose from her throat when she realized that there was blood between her legs._

"_No…"_

_The man's face appeared over her again, and he jeered. "Good, I wanted you to be awake for this."_

"_What…?"_

_He loomed over her, but she couldn't move. Couldn't protect herself or her baby, even as the weight of his foot slammed down onto her abdomen…_

"NO!"

Troy was awake in an instant. He'd never heard such an agonizing cry from Gabriella before, and it terrified him. He sat up, trying to locate a source of danger in the darkness. Gabriella was curled on her side facing away from him, her arms wrapped protectively around her middle while her legs flailed in the tangled bedding.

"No… no… please…" Her whimpers were choked with fear.

"Gabriella?" He touched her shoulder, and she recoiled away from him. He tried again. "Gabriella!"

He grabbed her hip and tried to roll her onto her back, and suddenly she attacked, screaming as she swung her arms wildly toward him, trying to keep him away. Only then did he realize that she was still asleep, still caught in the horror of her nightmare. He caught her wrists and pushed her back onto the mattress, holding her down as gently as possible. She wriggled and thrashed, trying to get away, but he held on.

"Gabriella! Wake up! You're safe. It's okay. I'm here, baby."

Her body suddenly went limp, all signs of aggression gone. When he released her, she curled into a ball, clutching her stomach, as gut-wrenching sobs wracked her body. Troy put his arm around her shoulders and her eyes slid open. She stared at him for a few moments, and then her face crumbled.

"I'm… I'm so… so sorry… Troy…" she gasped, looking up at him miserably. "I couldn't… I tried to protect the… b-baby, but I couldn't… I tried…"

Panic surged through him. Was she miscarrying? He turned on the lamp beside the bed, lifted the hem of her short nightgown and skimmed a finger over her panties, checking for blood or moisture that could indicate a problem. There was nothing. He touched her belly.

"Gabriella, are you having pain? Does it feel like there's something wrong?"

She shook her head, but her face was still creased with pain and confusion.

"B-but he was trying… he wanted to… hurt me… and the baby…"

Troy didn't have to ask who Gabriella was referring to. He recognized the haunted look on her face, the one she'd worn for months after her attack…

"You're pregnant _now_, sweetie. You weren't pregnant then. That was two years ago…" And then it clicked. The thought that had niggled in Troy's mind burst forth. It was October 29th, _exactly_two years since the attack that had nearly taken her life. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten that the anniversary was approaching. And then he realized why she'd been acting strange at the hospital. It was the first time she'd been in the trauma unit since her own stay there. That must've triggered her nightmare…

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. I should've realized…" He eased her into his lap and brushed the hair away from her face. "Sweetheart, it was just a dream. The baby is fine." He lifted her hand onto her abdomen and then covered it with his. "See, the baby's okay. It's right here where it belongs. You were having a nightmare. It wasn't real. You're safe."

She said nothing, but leaned into him, clutching him like a lifeline. He held her close and felt her warm tears as they slid down his chest. He rocked her gently, rubbing her belly to show her that the baby was there, alive and well. Luckily, she _hadn't_been pregnant two years ago—a fetus might not have survived the chest trauma and internal bleeding she'd suffered. He held her, whispering words of love and support, until her breathing slowed and her tense muscles began to relax.

"Gabriella?" He said her name softly, and she lifted her head to look at him. He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. "Are you okay?"

She palmed her abdomen. "You're sure… there's nothing wrong… Troy, it was so real!"

"I can't imagine how scary that was," he soothed. "But it was a dream. You're here with me, you're safe, and our baby is safe."

Gabriella's attention shifted, and she suddenly reached up and touched the side of his face. He winced.

"Did I do that?" she whispered, horrified.

He touched his stinging skin and realized that there was a scratch there that was oozing blood. "You might have nicked me with your fingernail while you were still asleep. It's no big deal…"

She pushed up off of him and turned to face him. "No big deal? I was trying to fight _him_off… I didn't realize it was you…"

He smiled wearily. "It's okay, really. You were fighting to protect our baby."

"I wasn't supposed to be fighting against the baby's _father_!" She scooted to the side of the bed, stood, and padded into the bathroom. A few moments later, she returned with a first aid kit. He started to protest, but realized that taking care of him would make her feel better. She climbed back onto the bed and sat on her knees in front of him. Her hands shook as she wiped away the blood and dabbed on some antibiotic ointment. She found a similar wound on his chest, just below his collarbone, and repeated her actions. When she finished, she carefully packed up the first aid kit. When she finished, he caught her hands.

"Thank you," he told her softly. She looked down, so he lifted her chin with his thumb and finger. "We're in this together, okay?"

"I know," Gabriella whispered. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," he interrupted. "I'm here to take care of you. I don't want you to be afraid."

She moved forward into his arms. He buried his nose in her hair, breathing her in to reassure himself that she was truly all right.

"Thank you, Troy," she told him. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." He put the first aid kit on the bedside table and switched off the lamp. Then he lay down with her, holding her and stroking her hair until she fell asleep.

...~«ώ»~...

Early the next morning, Troy padded into the dining room and touched Gabriella's shoulder. He'd been concerned to find her missing from their bed when he woke. She'd covered her thin nightgown with a robe, and had a legal pad filled with her notes in front of her.

"What are you doing up so early?"

She smiled up at him, and his heart tugged. Dark circles rimmed her eyes, but he saw strength in her expression. He pulled out the chair beside her and sat.

"I gave up trying to sleep," she confessed. "I was afraid of having another nightmare…"

Troy took her hand in both of his, rubbing it soothingly.

"I was going to try to get some work done, but I started thinking…" She took a long breath and then blew it out slowly. "I realized something. I don't want to let fear control me anymore."

"It's normal to have nightmares after a traumatic event, honey. Especially if there are triggers…"

She shook her head. "I know I can't control my dreams, but when I'm awake…" She turned to face him fully. "One of the things Mom said to me last week was true. I'm letting fear control the things I do, the decisions I make. Particularly with my career."

His eyes darkened. "Please don't tell me that you're making career decisions based on your mother's ideas."

"No, that's not what I meant. I'm passing up opportunities because I'm afraid." She paused to chew on her bottom lip. "I'm going to accept the speaking opportunity at Stanford."

Troy's face split into a grin, and he squeezed her hands. "Sweetheart, you are a remarkable woman. And I'm going to be there to support you and cheer you on."

"Good, because I'll be absolutely terrified," she admitted. "I couldn't do it without you."

"Yes, you could," he argued, releasing her hand to stroke her cheek. "But I meant what I said last night. We're in this together. And I'm _really_ proud of you."

She smiled in return. "Thank you, Troy. That means a lot to me."

"Anything for my favorite girl." He leaned forward to kiss her. "What sounds good for breakfast?"

"I'll have whatever you're having, unless it's one of those gross protein shakes… oh!" She pressed her hand into the side of her abdomen while Troy watched anxiously. A slow smile spread across her face, and she reached for his hand and placed it where hers had just been. The anxiety on his face disappeared when the baby kicked.

He laughed. "So the baby votes no on the protein shake." He leaned down to address her belly. "How about an omelet and some toast?" The baby rolled lightly under his hand. "Hey, I think that's a yes!"

Gabriella giggled, charmed by his connection to their child. "Sounds good to me."

Troy stood and then leaned over to kiss her once more. "Omelet and toast for three, coming right up!"

...~«ώ»~...

Troy glanced at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time, and then returned his gaze to the hospital's main entrance. After his shift, he'd changed out of his scrubs and into his street clothes, with his hospital ID clipped to his shirt. Gabriella had called that afternoon to tell him she wanted to visit Mark and Kelly after work. He'd been concerned about her revisiting the unit that had affected her so deeply the day before, but he'd promised to meet her in the lobby and go up with her. If she was determined to face her fears, then he was equally determined to walk beside her as she did.

"Hey, handsome. Looking for someone?" Her voice brought an instant smile to his face, and he turned around.

"I just found her." He touched her arm and bent to give her a quick kiss. "Where did you come from?"

Gabriella gestured to the right. "The main parking garage was full, so I had to park a couple blocks away."

He quirked an eyebrow at her fitted skirt and heels. "Not exactly dressed for a stroll, are you?"

"I managed just fine." She waved her hand dismissively. "How was your day?"

Troy took her hand, and they walked toward the bank of elevators. "It was good. How about yours?"

"Good. Dr. Cook was thrilled that I accepted the speaking engagement at Stanford," she reported. "Apparently another speaker cancelled over the weekend, so they were really scrambling to fill the time slots."

"Does that mean your presentation will be longer?"

"Gosh, I hope not. She said she'd e-mail me the schedule and overview tonight."

Troy bypassed the public elevators and swiped his badge to access the staff's private elevator. The doors slid open, and they stepped inside.

"I'm really glad you decided to do it," he told her. "I know it won't be easy, getting up in front of a crowd, but I believe in you. And I may be a little bit biased, but I happen to think you're one hell of a great teacher…"

He trailed off when he realized that she wasn't responding. He put his hands on her shoulders, which were rigid with tension, and turned her to face him. Her face had blanched, and her mouth was drawn into a tight line. He framed her face with his hands.

"Baby, you don't have to do this today. Mark and Kelly will understand. If it's too hard…"

Gabriella shook her head slowly. "I have to try. I want that man out of my head for good."

Troy nodded in understanding. "He's gone. He will never hurt you again." A thought occurred to him. "The next time you're a patient in this hospital, it'll be to give birth to our son or daughter. Concentrate on that. Forget the past and think about the future. _Our_future."

Her eyes glistened the way they always did when they talked about their child, and he knew his words had hit home. The elevator stopped on the trauma unit floor, and he took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. Together, they stepped out of the car.

...~«ώ»~...

A week later, Mark was home from the hospital and settled into his therapy routine. Troy and Gabriella were back at the hospital, this time for their six-month ultrasound. Dr. Grant was pleased that Gabriella's blood pressure had dropped back into the normal range after it had been high for several months.

As she helped moved Gabriella into position for the ultrasound, she commented, "You two will need to start looking into birthing classes soon. There's an excellent one here at the hospital, but I can also give you a list of others in the area."

Gabriella giggled. "I would hope Troy learned about that in medical school!"

"Yes, but in the delivery room, Troy's just the coach," Dr. Grant answered. "_You're_the star player."

Troy grinned at the analogy. "I'll have to tell Dad about that. He always wanted me to end up coaching like him."

Dr. Grant turned on the ultrasound monitor and raised Gabriella's shirt to squirt jelly on it. "Have you two decided whether you want to know the sex of the baby?"

"We don't," Gabriella answered. Troy nodded in agreement.

"All right then, let's see how the baby's positioned in the womb." Dr. Grant used the wand to spread the jelly, and soon the screen filled with the image of their baby. They both gasped in awe—the baby's features were much more distinct than they'd been three months before, and they could see eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, along with tiny hands and fingers.

Troy leaned close to his wife's head. "Look at that, sweetheart. It's perfect!"

She nodded tearfully, and he kissed away the moisture on her cheek.

"Everything looks good," Dr. Grant reported. "There's the heart and lungs, and you can see its facial features." She gave them a minute to watch the screen before she moved the wand lower. Despite their resolve to not learn the baby's sex, they watched the doctor anxiously, searching for clues in her expression. "The baby has its legs crossed, so its sex will have to remain a mystery for all of us."

"It must be a girl, then," Troy joked. "If it was a boy, he'd be proudly showing it off!"

"Maybe it's a boy that has some sense of decorum," Gabriella returned with a smile.

"Boys are boys, babe. If he's got it, he's going to flaunt it!"

Gabriella laughed and shook her head, amused by her husband's logic.

"Hmm…" Dr. Grant murmured as she scanned Gabriella's right side. "I don't want you to worry, but there's a new fibroid…"

Gabriella's laughter died in her throat, and Troy squeezed her hand tightly. Dr. Grant pointed to the stalk attached to the outer wall of her uterus just beneath one of her ovaries.

A tear slid down Gabriella's cheek. "The… the baby…"

"Is fine," Dr. Grant finished for her. "You can see for yourself. It's perfectly normal and healthy and developing just as it should."

"Why didn't the fibroid show up on the ultrasound three months ago?" Troy asked tensely.

Dr. Grant pointed to the screen again. "It was probably too small to notice. It looks like it was growing behind the ovary, not really visible until it shifted and got too big to hide." She turned her attention back to Gabriella. "I know this is scary after what you've been through, but it's really not a problem, Gabriella. It's outside the uterus, so it's not taking up the baby's space, and the baby is getting everything it needs through the umbilical cord."

"So what do we do?" Troy asked.

"Well, there are a couple of options. We could plan to deliver the baby via caesarian and remove the fibroid while we're in there, or we could simply wait until after the baby's born and remove it laparoscopically."

Gabriella looked at Troy incredulously. "You're just going to leave it in there for four more months?"

"As I said, it's not causing any complications with the baby, and it's not necessary to risk surgery at this point. We'll look at it again in a month."

Troy's brain shifted into doctor mode. "Do we need to take any special precautions? Bed rest? What about sex?"

"Bed rest is not necessary at this point. And as long as sex is comfortable and enjoyable for Gabriella, go for it. It's important, particularly at this stage of the pregnancy, to maintain that connection between the two of you."

Troy nodded, his lips twisting at the slight pink blush on his wife's cheeks. She was adorable.

"What about stress?" Troy pressed. "She's giving a big presentation at Stanford on Friday."

"That's exciting," Dr. Grant encouraged her before glancing at Troy. "Are you going with her?" He nodded. "Then she'll be in good hands."

Dr. Grant turned off the equipment and went to work cleaning the jelly off of Gabriella's abdomen. "I don't want this to take away from your happiness. I've always been straight with you, and if I thought it was a significant problem, I would tell you so. I've had many patients who've had perfectly normal deliveries with more and bigger fibroids than yours, so don't worry."

Troy helped Gabriella sit up, and she reached for the ultrasound photos that Dr. Grant handed her. There were plenty to look at, and Gabriella's smile returned as she flipped through them.

"The nurse will have the ultrasound DVD ready for you when you check out," Dr. Grant went on. "Do you have any other questions or concerns?"

Gabriella glanced at Troy, and then looked at the doctor. "Um, Thanksgiving is in a couple of weeks, and Troy's family is in Albuquerque… Is there any way…?"

Dr. Grant laid a hand on her arm. "I understand that you want to see the family, but I'd really prefer that you don't fly now that you're approaching your third trimester. Especially with the difficulties you've experienced."

Troy slid his arm around his wife's shoulders as they sagged with disappointment. He'd known that would be the doctor's answer. He'd have to talk to his parents and see if they could figure out an alternative.

"Good luck with your speech," Dr. Grant told Gabriella as they stood to leave. "I'm sure you'll do a great job."

"Thanks," Gabriella sighed. She hoped the doctor was right.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella was pretty sure Dr. Grant had been wrong about the speech. As Troy drove south toward Stanford, the butterflies in her stomach felt like they would burst through her skin at any moment. She closed her eyes to focus for a moment, and then picked up the well-worn notes from her lap, mentally rehearsing her speech for at least the hundredth time.

Troy laid his hand on her thigh. "You've read those notes so many times, I bet you could recite them forwards, backwards, and upside down."

"I just don't want to forget anything," she replied.

He sent her a sidelong glance. "Honey, you have an amazing memory."

"That was before I was pregnant. Don't tell me you haven't noticed how forgetful I've been lately."

"Maybe," he conceded. "But I've seen you lecture at Hastings. You light up when you're talking about something you're really passionate about. I'll bet that once you get past your intro, you won't even glance at your notes."

"Maybe I should have asked Nick to add the text of my speech to the bottom of the video presentation," she mused.

Nick had volunteered to put together a multi-media presentation to emphasize Gabriella's lecture points and illustrate her research, and it had far exceeded her expectations. It also helped allay some of her fear, because she told herself that the audience would be watching the graphics on the screen rather than her.

Gabriella looked down at her notes again, and then froze. "Did I bring my briefcase?"

Troy laughed. "Yes, you brought your briefcase, and that's the fourth time you've asked about it. Do you have some kind of secret weapon in there?"

"No, my secret weapon is beside me," she said softly, touching his arm. He reached for her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "It means a lot that you're here with me, Troy."

"You're a brilliant and talented woman. I'm just here to make sure you remember that. And to start the standing ovation at the end of your speech."

Her eyes widened. "Don't you dare!" He chuckled, and she realized that he was teasing her.

"I'm happy to be here to support you," he said seriously. "You've made sacrifices to support me and my career, so it's nice to be able to return the favor. There's no place I'd rather be today. I'm _really_proud of you, sweetie."

"Thank you," she whispered around the lump in her throat. She couldn't tell if it was there because of Troy's loving words, or because he'd just exited the highway in Palo Alto.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy sat in the front row of the auditorium and glanced at his watch nervously. Gabriella's presentation should've already started, but the stage was empty. He'd given her his best motivational speech backstage, kissed her, and then excused himself to find his reserved seat in the auditorium. Part of him wanted to stay with her to make sure she was okay, but he knew this was something that she needed to do on her own. He looked at his watch again. Around him there were hushed conversations, clicking computer keys, and fidgeting college students. Troy wondered if he should go backstage to check on her. Surely though, if something was wrong, one of the half-dozen people backstage would have alerted him. Dr. Cook was there, as well as another professor, a few stage hands, and of course, Nick.

_Nick._Troy noticed the involuntary tic of his jaw at the mere thought of Gabriella's graduate student. Troy trusted Gabriella completely, and didn't honestly believe that there was anything more than a professional friendship between them. Still, Nick clearly had a great deal of admiration and respect for his mentor, and Troy wasn't fond of Nick's gazes of adulation at his wife. He had to admit, though, grudgingly, that Nick was a hard worker, and had no doubt lightened Gabriella's workload considerably.

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he sucked in a breath when he turned and saw Nick in the doorway. Nick motioned for him, and Troy was out of his seat in an instant, jogging toward the side door that Nick held open. _What had happened? Was Gabriella having a panic attack?_

"What's wrong?" Troy asked.

Nick simply answered, "She needs you."

It was not far from the auditorium door to the stage door, and when Troy rounded the corner, he saw Gabriella seated in a chair with her head bent forward, surrounded by several people. She was holding a cloth against her face—and there was blood on her hand.

"What happened?" he asked.

"She has a nosebleed," Dr. Cook told him. "We haven't been able to get it stopped…" The others moved back to make way for Troy. He knelt in front of his wife.

"Baby, let me see," he instructed gently, covering her shaking hands with his. He lifted the cloth away from her face just long enough to see that the flow of blood hadn't yet stopped.

"Somebody get me a chair, please," he said to no one in particular. A few moments later, a chair slid into place beside him. He stood and moved the chair close, so that he and Gabriella were face to face with his legs bracketing hers. He pulled back the cloth and carefully positioned his thumb and index finger to pinch the pressure point that would cut off the blood flow. Then he slid the cloth back into place under his hand and checked his watch. With his other hand, he took her wrist to check her pulse.

"Your heart's racing," he commented quietly.

"I… I think I was about to have a panic attack," she admitted. Her voice was muffled under the cloth. "They were putting the microphone on me, and the sound guy mentioned that this seminar is being podcast all over the world! That's a _lot_of pressure, Troy!"

"You don't need to worry about that, though. You just need to focus on the audience out there. Forget about the podcast."

She nodded slightly. "I started seeing dark spots in my vision, and then suddenly my nose was bleeding."

"Nosebleeds are not uncommon during pregnancy," he replied. "And they can be exacerbated by anxiety. If this is too much for you, you don't have to do it."

"I need to," she told him. "I've come too far to give up. If I don't face my fear now, I may never be brave enough to try again."

He smiled proudly. "Gabriella, you are one remarkable woman."

"A lot of that has to do with the remarkable man in my life," she returned.

Troy checked his watch and then released his fingers from her nose. He waited a few moments, but it seemed that the bleeding had stopped.

Dr. Cook hovered nearby. "Gabriella, are you sure you feel up to speaking? I'll dismiss the students if you're not."

"I can do it," she answered. "Just give me one minute to look over my notes…"

Troy laughed at that before turning to a nearby stage hand. "Would you please get her a couple bottles of water?" The young man rushed off to do so, and Troy turned back to his wife. "Stay hydrated while you're on stage, and you'll be less likely to start bleeding again. If you start seeing those spots again, stop what you're doing and leave the stage."

"Okay," she replied.

The stage hand came back with the water, and Troy handed one bottle to Gabriella and opened the other bottle himself. He found a clean section of the cloth and wet it, and then cleaned the dried blood from his wife's face and hands.

"Thank you," she said softly when he finished.

"You're welcome." He offered his hand and pulled her to her feet. "Are you ready to do this?"

She paused and then nodded her head. "I'm ready."

...~«ώ»~...

Forty minutes later, Gabriella finished the closing remarks of her presentation. She'd done it! She couldn't believe how quickly the time had flown by. The auditorium erupted into loud applause, and then students began rising to their feet. The standing ovation that Troy had predicted. She caught his eye. He was still sitting as if to show her that he hadn't been the one to start the ovation. She grinned at him, and he rose with the rest of the audience, clapping enthusiastically. Her heart tugged. With his support, she was coming to realize, she really could do anything.


	51. Giving Thanks

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 51—Giving Thanks**

****_A/N: I am truly sorry for making you wait so long for this update, and I hope you haven't lost interest in this story. There has been a great deal of work and stress in my life for the past month or so, but I'm happy to say that that's behind me now. I fully intend to get back to my regular writing schedule so that updates will come more frequently. Thank you for your patience and concern, and thank you to Robin for getting me back on track when I lost my way._

* * *

Troy blinked against the sunlight that streamed through the French doors, wishing he'd remembered to close the blinds. Then again, he'd barely been conscious when he'd stumbled in and collapsed on the bed several hours before. His gaze swept around his childhood bedroom, taking in the pictures and mementos of a successful high school basketball career and a blossoming young relationship. Though his dad had often threatened to turn the abandoned bedroom into an exercise room, his mom had kept it mostly intact, only putting away small knickknacks that she'd gotten tired of dusting. Troy sighed contentedly. It was good to be home, even if meant a marathon car trip that had begun at noon the day before and concluded in the wee hours of the morning. It had meant so much to Gabriella to come to Albuquerque for Thanksgiving that he'd traded shifts and called in favors in order to get time off from the hospital. Senior residency definitely had its perks.

Beside him, Gabriella stirred, and he watched to see if she would awaken or drift back to sleep. After a few moments of fidgeting, her shoulders relaxed and she seemed to settle back in. She lay on her side, facing away from him, and he waited several minutes—until he was sure she was asleep—before he ran a gentle hand along the small of her back. She hadn't complained about her back hurting during the long drive, but he could tell it was bothering her. They'd driven all night, trading places every couple of hours so the other could sleep, and he'd seen the way she'd shifted uncomfortably in her seat, seeking relief. As he'd suspected, his fingers found tight, knotted muscles, and he carefully began kneading them out, the way Elsa had taught him in Monterey. He tried to keep his touch as light as possible so he wouldn't wake her, and he thought he was succeeding until a soft moan slipped out of her mouth. Her shoulders tensed for a second, and then she went still again.

"Sorry, babe. Your cover is blown," he told her with a chuckle. Sure enough, she peeked back at him over her shoulder. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since you started," she answered sheepishly. "It felt heavenly."

Troy squeezed her hip. "You shouldn't be awake yet, especially since you drove the last shift."

She reached for his hand and pulled it forward onto her abdomen, and it only took a few moments before he felt the baby move. "It's not so easy to sleep with the baby doing calisthenics in there."

He laughed and shifted so that his mouth was close to Gabriella's belly, and then slid her shirt up a few inches and kissed the spot where his hand had just been.

"Okay, baby, we're going to have to have a talk. You can't keep waking up your mama this early in the morning. She needs her rest so that she can take care of you. Go back to sleep for a few more hours, and once Mom gets up, you can move and kick all you want. Do we have a deal?" Gabriella giggled, and Troy palmed her hip to ease her onto her back, moving his pillow under her so that she wasn't lying flat. His fingers still caressed the skin under her shirt, and rather than pulling back, he began to widen his circles so that his knuckles brushed the underside of her breasts. Her sharp intake of breath spurred him on, and he hovered over her, pushing her shirt up to fully expose her breasts. He palmed one and watched with wicked delight as her pupils dilated.

"Troy, what are you… oh!" Her question was cut off in a gasp as he lowered his head and closed his mouth over her nipple. He licked and sucked her tender skin while his hand kneaded her other breast. Her fingers plunged into his hair, holding him against her, and he took his time first with one breast, and then the other. When he finally released them, he moved his mouth upward to the column of her throat, though his hand stayed put to continue stroking her.

"Your breasts are beautiful," he said huskily. "I'm going to miss touching you like this after the baby's born."

"I'll only be breastfeeding for a few months. I'm sure you'll find a way to work around it," she teased, tipping her head thoughtfully. "Tell me, what is it about coming to Albuquerque that sends your hormones into overdrive?"

"I think it has a lot more to do with the _woman_ I brought with me to Albuquerque. And for the record, _your_ hormones have been overdrive since the third or fourth month of your pregnancy. Trust me, I'm not complaining! I'm happy to step up and scratch your itch whenever and wherever you need me to." His hand resumed its ministrations, and his lips closed onto the soft skin on her neck.

"Troy," she whimpered, clutching his hair. "What about… mmm… your parents? It's our rule… no sex… in their house…"

"Aha, but I've come up with a solution for that little complication." He suddenly rolled away from her and out of bed, and she pushed up on her elbows to watch him dig through his bag until he found a thick cardboard cutout. He held it up for her to read—"DO NOT DISTURB"—and then hurried across the room to hang it on the doorknob. When he opened the door, though, he heard a shriek from the kitchen.

"Troy! You're up! It's so good to see you! What time did you get in?"

"Hi, Mom. I'll be out in a minute." He closed the door and swore under his breath. She was the last person he wanted to see with a mind-numbing erection straining against the fly of his boxers. He looked back at Gabriella, and she snickered.

"I don't think that was what you were going for with that sign," she pointed out.

"Not really," he groaned, scrubbing his hands over his face in an effort to get his hormones under control. Which was nearly impossible with his wife still lying in bed with her breasts on display. "I need to cool off," he muttered. He gathered a few things from his bag and skulked into the bathroom. Just before he shut the door, Gabriella called out to him. He poked his head out the door, and she smiled devilishly at him.

"Don't forget, Troy," she purred. "We still have the tree house."

...~«ώ»~...

When Troy walked into the kitchen a few minutes later, his parents were sitting at the table with steaming mugs of coffee in front of them. Lucille sprung from her seat to hug her son.

"Hey, Mama," he greeted with a kiss on her cheek. "It's great to see you. Happy Thanksgiving!"

She released him and dabbed at her misty eyes, stepping out of the way so that Jack could get a hug as well.

"How are you doing, Son?"

"Great, Dad. How's East High?"

"The team's looking good this year."

"Of course they are… they have a great coach!"

Lucille rolled her eyes. "Some things never change! Less than thirty seconds, and you're already talking basketball. I'm going to need some more coffee for this!"

"Sorry, Mom. I'd love some coffee too, if there's enough. I try not to drink it around Gabriella at home. It's been hard for her to give it up during her pregnancy."

Lucille took her mug to the coffeepot on the counter and refilled it, and then opened the cabinet to get another mug for Troy. "Where _is _Gabriella? I thought I heard her voice earlier." She set the mug in front of Troy, and he nodded gratefully and took a long sip.

"She went back to sleep while I was in the bathroom. I was hoping she would. She didn't get much sleep last night."

"What time did you arrive this morning?" Jack asked. "We didn't hear you come in."

"A little after 3:00, I think. Gabriella drove the last shift, from Flagstaff to Albuquerque, so I was pretty out of it when we got here."

"Good thing she didn't have to work yesterday," Lucille observed. "How's she doing?"

Troy smiled. "She's great. She gets tired easily, but that's normal in the third trimester. Not to mention that the baby has started waking her up early most mornings."

"You were like that too," Lucille remembered. "Your father used to say that you were doing early-morning conditioning for basketball before you were born!"

"Now who's bringing up basketball, Luce?" Jack winked at Troy across the table and dodged when his wife swatted at him.

Lucille glanced toward Troy's bedroom and lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Everything's set for the baby shower on Saturday. It worked out well that Zeke and Jasmine are having a wedding reception in Albuquerque this weekend—between that, the shower, and the holiday, I think all of your friends from East High will be here."

Troy grinned. "Hats off to Taylor for getting everything coordinated with such short notice."

"She was happy to do it, especially since Gabriella helped her so much with the reunion," Lucille told him. "I'm glad you two finally got your baby registry done."

"It was hard to rush her without ruining the surprise," Troy reasoned. "Surpris-_es_, I guess I should say. She didn't even know we were coming to Albuquerque until a couple days ago."

"Will Maria be able to stay through Saturday?"

Troy's expression instantly darkened. "Your guess is as good as mine. I'm not completely convinced that she'll show up here at all. She called last night to say that she had a project to finish and that she's taking a later flight today."

Lucille frowned. "But it's her _daughter! _Her _only _daughter and her first grandchild! I don't understand what on _earth_ would keep her from being here!"

"There are a lot of things about Maria that I don't understand," Troy muttered.

"So things haven't gotten any better between them?" Jack asked.

"Actually, ever since she saw the podcast of Gabriella's speech at Stanford, she's been calling practically every other day. But it's not the typical small talk, from what I've heard. She always talks about Gabriella's career—how quickly she'll go back to work after the baby's born, how long she plans to teach at Hastings, when she'll start her working on her Ph.D.—things like that. She has some kind of hidden agenda, but I haven't figured out what it is."

"At least she's paying more attention to Gabriella," Lucille commented. "That's a step in the right direction."

"I guess," Troy shrugged.

"What about you?" Jack asked. "How are things at the hospital?"

Troy's smile returned. "Really good. Dr. Overman has been loading me up with Ortho surgeries to make up for the time I missed while I was at UCS."

Jack glanced at Lucille. "How have you been feeling about turning down UCS's offer? Do you miss working there?"

"I miss the people—the trainers and the players—but I can honestly say that I haven't spent a single minute doubting or regretting my decision. I may look for another team physician job in a few years, or maybe I'll finish my Ortho certification and work in a sports medicine clinic. You were right, though, Dad. When it came right down to it, the decision was easy. And now that I'm back home with Gabriella full time, things are great between us. We're definitely a lot closer now than we were six months ago."

Lucille laid a hand on his arm. "We're glad to hear that, Son. It's been a rough year for both of you, so I'd say you're overdue for some peace and happiness."

He smiled. "Thanks, Mom."

Jack cleared his throat. "Okay, before your mother gets all weepy and sentimental, I have an idea. I have about an hour before I have to leave to go pick up your grandma from the nursing home—just long enough for me to whoop you a few times on the basketball court."

Troy scoffed. "In your dreams, old man."

"I may be old, but I can still outplay you."

"Game on, Dad. Game on."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella emerged from the bedroom sometime later, and Lucille greeted her just as enthusiastically as she had her son. When she released her daughter-in-law, her hands lingered on the sides of Gabriella's belly.

"Oh, honey, look how you've grown! You look beautiful! How are you feeling?"

Gabriella smiled. "Thank you, Lucille. I've been feeling pretty good for the past several weeks. Just some occasional nausea and fatigue, but that's manageable."

"Good," Lucille replied. "And how's the baby doing? Troy said it woke you up this morning."

"Yes," Gabriella nodded. "That has become a pretty regular occurrence."

"Must be the Bolton genes. Troy used to do the same thing when I was pregnant with him."

"The Bolton men are early risers, that's for sure," Gabriella agreed, laying a hand on her stomach. "Maybe he heard his dad and grandpa playing basketball outside and wanted to join in."

Lucille's eyes widened. "_He?_"

"We don't know whether it's a boy or a girl," Gabriella rushed to explain. "I just have a… a _feeling_ that it's a boy."

"It's mother's intuition!" Lucille declared excitedly as the back door opened and the men came in. "Jack, Gabriella thinks the baby's a boy!"

Troy chuckled. "Don't get too excited, Mom. My wife's 'intuition' changes on a weekly basis. Last week she was so sure the baby's a girl that she went out and bought pink linens for the crib!"

Gabriella folded her arms and glared at her husband, though she couldn't deny his statement. "I returned them on Monday," she muttered.

He slung an arm around Gabriella's shoulders, careful not to let his sweaty shirt come in contact with her nice clothes. "You have a 50% chance of being right either way, so you can change your mind as many times as you like."

"Regardless of its sex, this baby's going to get plenty of love and spoiling from its grandparents," Lucille chimed in. "Which reminds me, Gabriella, I bought a few adorable little baby outfits that I want to show you."

Jack scoffed. "A _few?_ I swear, this woman has been buying baby clothes since the moment she found out that you're expecting."

"It's our first grandchild!" Lucille argued. Glancing at the clock, she turned back to Jack. "_Please _tell me you're taking a shower before you leave. I feel sorry for your mother if she has to ride in the car with you smelling like _that!_"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jack joked just as he wrapped his arms around his wife and gave her a long, sweaty hug. She tried to wriggle away, and when he released her, she swatted him on the backside. He winked at his son and headed for the shower.

"I think I'll grab a shower too," Troy announced, turning Gabriella as if he planned to imitate his dad's actions.

"Don't you _dare_," she warned.

"But if I get you sweaty, you can shower with me!"

Troy laughed when Gabriella covered her face in embarrassment. Lucille simply shook her head and went back to her work in the kitchen. Seeing that his wife had no intention of agreeing to his offer, Troy disappeared into his bedroom. A minute later, though, he was back with Gabriella's phone in his hand.

"There's a message from your mom," he told her as he gave her the phone.

Gabriella opened the text message, read it, and sighed. "She won't be here until this evening."

"It's okay, honey," Lucille told her. "We can push dinner back a few hours."

"Please don't," Gabriella responded. "It'll only encourage her bad manners."

Troy touched her arm. "Do you want me to call her?"

She shook her head. "No. If you do, she'll arrive with a chip on her shoulder, and we both know how that turned out last time."

He searched her face for a moment, looking for signs of sadness or distress and finding only resignation. He squeezed her shoulder. "I'll go grab a quick shower, and then we can talk, okay?"

She nodded, and after he went back to the bedroom, Gabriella turned to Lucille.

"What can I do to help?"

"Are you sure you're up to it? I don't want you to get nauseous from the smells."

Gabriella smiled. "As long as you're not cooking bacon, fish, or Mexican food, I'll be fine."

Lucille handed over some vegetables for her daughter-in-law to chop, and the two women worked in companionable silence for a few minutes before Lucille cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry to bring this up, and if you don't want to talk about it, I understand," she began tentatively. "I remember you telling us about the big blow-up you and Troy had with Maria the last time she visited you, when she found out about the baby. Didn't she promise to work on improving your relationship?"

"Yes. She _has _been calling me more regularly, but honestly, I'm not sure if that's a good thing."

Lucille frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Mom has pressured me my entire life. When she thinks I'm living up to my potential, she's happy. When she doesn't..." Gabriella hesitated and glanced toward the bedroom. "I don't know if I should be telling you this."

"You don't have to if you don't want to, but it might help to talk about it," Lucille encouraged.

"Well… Mom wasn't happy when I didn't start working on my Ph.D. after law school. Troy and I didn't want to wait another two years to get married, so we decided that I would work while he finished medical school. Right after he graduated, I got the offer to teach at Hastings. Mom didn't like the idea of me teaching instead of practicing law, but she thought it would be a good opportunity to earn my doctorate. But then… um…" Her voice dropped off.

Lucille stepped forward to hug her daughter-in-law. Gabriella's attack had happened that first semester at Hastings, and her physical and psychological recovery had taken months. After a few moments, Lucille guided her to sit at the kitchen table and then sat next to her. Gabriella drew a long breath and went on.

"We had a lot of medical bills after that, and I wasn't really… ready… to start a doctoral program."

"I'm not sure I understand," Lucille confessed. "That's all in the past. Why is it still a problem for her now?"

Gabriella fidgeted in her seat. "I'd… considered… starting my doctoral work this fall, but once we found out about the baby, and Troy was offered the job at UCS…" She looked down at her hands. "She was _really _upset about Troy working in Sacramento while I stayed in San Francisco. In her eyes, my career was taking a backseat to Troy's again." Her earnest gaze met Lucille's, and she leaned forward. "I'm happy with my job and my life. Troy is wonderful—I couldn't ask for a better husband, and I know he'll be an amazing father. I _will _finish my doctorate someday, but it's just not at the top of my list of priorities right now. My life is not defined by how many degrees I have, or whether I teach or work in a law firm. And I'm not sure if Mom will ever accept that, because work is all that matters to her."

Lucille covered her hand. "I'm sure it's hard to see sometimes, but your mom does love you. She just has a funny way of expressing it sometimes."

"And that's why Troy gets so upset with her," Gabriella acknowledged. "He doesn't like the way she treats me. He's always been protective of me, but he is even more so now that I'm pregnant. I'm just… not sure how to make things better between them."

Lucille tipped her head knowingly. "Does Troy know that she feels that way about him?"

"She's made it pretty clear." She looked down guiltily. "But I haven't told him about her latest campaign."

"What's that?"

She sighed. "Mom saw the podcast of my speech at Stanford a couple weeks ago, and now she's pushing me to get back into the courtroom. Of course Troy would support me if I decided to practice law again, but I'm not interested in pursuing right now. She doesn't seem to get that." She looked across at her mother-in-law. "I'm sorry, Lucille, I shouldn't be telling you all this, especially that my mother has a problem with your son."

Lucille simply smiled. "As long as _you _don't have a problem with my son, that's what's important. You don't blame or resent him for where your career is, do you?"

"Oh, no! Absolutely not! I'm happy, and things are _great _between us!"

"He told me the same thing," Lucille assured her with a wink. Then she sobered. "Maybe while Maria's here, the three of you can get things straightened out."

"I hope so," Gabriella sighed. But somehow she knew it wouldn't be nearly as easy as it sounded.

...~«ώ»~...

After an early-afternoon dinner, the women retired to the living room while the Bolton men did the dishes. When they finished, Troy took a seat next to Gabriella, who was sitting beside Grandma Bolton. The older woman held Gabriella's hand in both of hers as she shared memories from her younger days. Troy put his arm around his wife and leaned in to listen to the ending of Grandma's story about Jack's first bike-riding adventure. When she finished, he cleared his throat.

"Grandma, do you remember who Gabriella is?" he asked. Troy and Gabriella had been dating only a short time when Grandma had suffered the stroke that was the cutoff point for her long-term memory.

Her clear blue eyes narrowed for a moment as she thought, and then she smiled. "She's your girlfriend, right? What a pretty girl she is, too!"

"She's beautiful," Troy agreed. "But she's not my girlfriend anymore, Grandma. She's my wife. We've been married for four years."

She nodded slowly and squeezed Gabriella's hand. "Is my grandson a good husband? I know my son raised him to be a gentleman."

Gabriella glanced back at Troy and smiled. "He's a wonderful husband and a perfect gentleman."

"Good," Grandma nodded with satisfaction.

"Actually, Grandma, there's something we want to tell you," Troy told her. "Gabriella and I are expecting a baby."

Her eyes widened and her gaze searched both their faces as if to confirm that they were telling the truth. Across the room, Jack and Lucille watched with smiles on their faces.

"A baby?" Grandma asked. She looked down and seemed to notice Gabriella's swollen abdomen for the first time. "When?"

"It's due in about three months," Gabriella answered. She lifted the old woman's hand and laid it on her belly.

"Babies are a gift from God," Grandma declared reverently. "I remember when Jack was born. And Troy, my grandson…"

"This baby is your _great_ grandchild," Troy explained. "Four generations of Boltons here."

"Well, of all things," she answered as moisture pooled in her eyes. "My first great grandchild."

Gabriella sniffed, and across the room Lucille dabbed at her eyes. Troy cleared his throat.

"I hope that I'll be a good father like Grandpa and Dad before me," he said.

"You will be," Grandma assured him. "You've had great examples to follow." After a few moments she leaned back into the cushions of the couch and closed her eyes. "If you don't mind, I'm going to rest for a few minutes."

...~«ώ»~...

Grandma's "few minutes" stretched to several hours, and Jack and Troy settled in for the afternoon to watch football on TV. Lucille and Gabriella sat at the table looking through Troy's baby pictures and debating which characteristics the baby would inherit from each of its parents. Lucille pretended not to notice how frequently Gabriella checked the wall clock or her phone. There had been no further word from Maria, and Gabriella's calls and texts had gone unanswered. Lucille understood her son's frustration with his mother-in-law and the way she treated her daughter. Gabriella deserved better than that.

After awhile, Gabriella's eyelids began to droop, and Lucille squeezed her hand. "Honey, why don't you go lie down for a little while? You look exhausted."

"I was just going to suggest that," Troy added as he crossed the threshold into the kitchen. He came up behind his wife and began to knead her shoulders. "Dr. Grant said you should rest when you're tired."

"You look a little droopy yourself, Son," Lucille observed.

Troy waved her off. "Nah, I'm good. I can't miss the second half of the game. If the Colts pull out a win, Dad owes me ten dollars."

"The Colts?" Lucille asked curiously.

"Their quarterback is from Stanford," he explained before leaning over to kiss the top of Gabriella's head. "And I happen to be very fond of Stanford graduates."

"Ah, a man with impeccable taste," Gabriella teased, patting his hand on her shoulder.

He caught her hand and ran his thumb over her wedding ring. "I think I proved that a long time ago."

"Charmer."

"Guilty as charged. Now, how about that nap?"

Gabriella turned to Lucille. "Do you need my help getting dinner ready?"

"No, I'm just reheating leftovers from lunch and making some more stuffing and gravy. I can handle it by myself."

Gabriella pushed her chair back. "In that case, a nap sounds perfect."

Troy caught her around the waist as she stood. "Good girl."

"But you have to promise to wake me if you need help," she told Lucille. "Or if Mom shows up…" Her voice trailed off. Troy's arms tightened around her and she shook her head to let him know that she didn't want to discuss it.

He leaned close and whispered in her ear, "Do you want me to tuck you in?"

His words had the desired effect—she smiled up at him. "I think we both know how that would turn out. I need to get some rest, and you've got a game to watch. So I'll see you in an hour or so."

"Fair enough," he conceded, leaning down to kiss her. "Sweet dreams."

Troy waited until the bedroom door closed before he took Gabriella's seat at the table. "Still no word from Maria?" Lucille shook her head, and Troy folded his arms across his chest. "I don't think I'll ever understand her, Mom. Her relationship with Gabriella is so different from how our family is. I'm sure I drove you and Dad crazy sometimes, but I never doubted that I was an important part of your lives."

"I know, Troy. It doesn't make sense to me either. Please try to keep your frustration in check when she gets here. It's natural to want to step in and protect Gabriella, but she needs this time with her mom without having to be the referee between you two."

"I'll do my best, but if she starts something…" Troy ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not going to stand by and let her hurt Gabriella the way she did last time."

"Understood," Lucille allowed. "Now, I need to get these pictures put away so I can start working on dinner. And how about you—don't you have a bet to win?"

"Absolutely." He stood and then bent to kiss her cheek. "Thanks, Mama."

"Anytime, Son. That's what mothers are for."

...~«ώ»~...

After the evening meal, the family lounged in the living room talking, laughing, and sharing memories. Troy's arm draped casually around the back of Gabriella's seat, and he watched her contentedly, enjoying how perfectly she fit in with his family. Maria had finally texted that she was at the airport and would be at the Boltons' house after she picked up her rental car, and Troy hoped that her arrival wouldn't dampen the mood of the evening.

When the doorbell rang, Lucille went to answer the door, and Gabriella stood anxiously, smoothing imaginary wrinkles from the material that covered her belly. A few moments later, Maria appeared in the doorway, and Gabriella rushed forward to hug her.

"It's so good to see you, m'ija," Maria murmured.

"It's good to see you too. How was your trip?"

"It was fine. Hello, Troy."

Troy stepped forward to give his mother-in-law a brief, dutiful hug. "Happy Thanksgiving, Maria. I'm glad you could make it." Despite his promise to try to keep his frustration in check, he was instantly irritated that Maria said nothing to acknowledge her daughter's pregnancy.

There were a few moments of awkward silence, and then Lucille spoke up. "Maria, let me fix you a plate."

Maria dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "Thanks, but I already ate at the airport while I was waiting for my rental car."

Gabriella's brow creased. "Mom, Lucille has been keeping the food warm for you because she knew you were on your way."

"It's almost bedtime on the East Coast," Maria insisted. "I try to avoid sleeping with a full stomach. I'd love a glass of wine, though."

"How about sparkling cider?" Lucille offered instead. "I didn't chill any wine because I felt bad drinking in front of Gabriella when she can't have it."

Maria made a face. "For heaven's sake, I'd like to think Gabi has enough self-control to avoid drinking without spoiling the party for everyone else."

"What makes you think something like that would spoil the party?" Troy ground out. "Especially since you weren't even _here _for the party!"

"Troy," Lucille warned before returning her attention to Maria. "Gabriella didn't ask me to serve sparkling cider. I was just trying to be respectful of her pregnancy."

"Thank you, Lucille," Gabriella put in. "That was very sweet of you."

Lucille smiled at her daughter-in-law and then gestured towards the living room furniture. "There's no need for us to stand. Let's have a seat so we can get caught up."

Jack cleared his throat. "Actually, I think it's about time to get your grandma home. Are you ready, Mom?"

She nodded, and the family said their goodbyes. After they left, Troy and Gabriella and their mothers settled onto the sofas. They made small talk for a few minutes, and then Maria sat up excitedly.

"Okay, I can't hold it in any longer. Gabi, I have some exciting news for you!" She paused dramatically. "I found you a job in New York! It's with one of the most prestigious law firms on the East Coast. I pulled some strings to get a meeting there, and after seeing your speech at Stanford, they've agreed to hire you as a junior partner! Isn't that wonderful?" Stunned silence permeated the room, but Maria didn't seem to notice. "This is an amazing opportunity to get your career back on track, Gabi. And they'll give you tuition assistance to complete your doctorate degree. They want you to start after the first of the year. It'll be a rush to find you a place to live, but if nothing else, you can stay with me. Won't it be nice to live near your friends again?"

Lucille was the first to find her voice. "You… you're moving to… _New York_? Why didn't you tell us?"

"I have no idea what she's talking about! Maria, where did you get the idea that we would want to move to New York?" Troy asked.

"Gabi told me that she would move if the right job opportunity came along, and this is it! It's perfect!"

All eyes turned to Gabriella. She shifted uncomfortably. "I said I would _consider _moving," she corrected. "That's something that Troy and I would have to figure out together."

"You always say that I don't spend enough time with you," Maria pointed out. "If we live in the same city, we can see each other more frequently. And I can get to know my grandchild."

"_Our _grandchild," Lucille corrected. "Troy, I always thought that if you left San Francisco, it would be to move back to Albuquerque, not all the way across the country!"

"We're not moving," Troy said sternly. "Not right now, anyway. Not to Albuquerque, and _definitely _not to New York!"

Gabriella's eyes widened as Maria's flashed angrily. "That's it? No discussion? This is Gabi's career! And you certainly didn't mind moving to Sacramento for _your _career!"

"Why are you still bringing that up? It's over! I turned down the job, and I've been home for over a month now."

"What if another job opened up somewhere else?" Maria challenged. "Somehow I don't think you'd hesitate to move if it was _your _career we were talking about."

"My career is not more or less important than my wife's," Troy shot back. "But that's not even the point. Gabriella is _pregnant! _There is _no way_ I would allow her to risk her health, or the baby's, by moving across the country a month and a half before she's due to give birth!"

"Troy's right, Mom," Gabriella added. "I can't risk losing this baby. Not after everything we've been through."

"And how in the world do you expect Gabriella to start a high-pressure job, go back to school, and take care of a newborn?" Troy challenged.

"My daughter can do anything she sets her mind to," Maria countered. "She's an exceptional woman."

"You're right, she _is _exceptional. She's an exceptional lawyer and teacher, an exceptional wife, daughter, and friend, and in a few months, she'll be an exceptional mother. Gabriella is not defined simply by her job or her intellect, although that's the only part of her you seem to see."

"Don't be ridiculous," Maria spat. "I want what's best for my daughter…"

Troy's anger grew. "The hell you do! You want her to follow the career path you've laid out for her, and you dangle your relationship with her as a reward for doing things your way. She's your _daughter_! She deserves your love and respect regardless of where she works, what degrees she has, or where she lives."

Maria leaned forward angrily. "I've had enough of you trying to paint me as a bad mother! You're not the only one who loves Gabi, and I've been a part of her life a hell of a lot longer than you have!"

"This isn't a_ contest_ to see who loves Gabriella the most," Troy answered. "You say you want what's best for her, but you have _no idea _how much your words hurt her!"

"She's a big girl, she can take it." She turned to face her daughter. "When did you get so soft? You used to be such a strong, ambitious girl, but now you're content to sit back and let your husband fight your battles for you."

Troy stood, now furious. "I will _not _allow you to speak to my wife that way! All day she's been waiting for you, wondering if you would show up, and fifteen minutes into your visit, you're already taking verbal jabs at her and picking fights with me."

"It takes two to argue," Maria said smugly. "And if I recall correctly, you started it."

"Fine then, I'll go and give you two some time alone," Troy told her.

Gabriella looked up at him, her eyes wide. "Troy, please no. You don't have to…"

He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "It's okay, sweetie. I want you to enjoy your visit with your mom, and I don't think that's going to happen as long as I'm in the room. I need to calm down before I say something I'll regret." He straightened, sent Maria one last glare, and left the room. Gabriella looked at Lucille imploringly, silently begging her to make sure Troy was all right. Lucille nodded and followed her son out of the living room.

Maria shook her head in disgust. "I don't understand why he's so antagonistic towards me. I'm trying to help you, and he acts as if he's the only one who's allowed to make decisions about your life. The only reason he doesn't want you to move to New York is because he wants to keep you as far away from me as possible. That man is a piece of work."

"_That man_ is my husband and the father of our child," Gabriella cried. "How _dare _you come into the Boltons' home—hours late, no less—and insult their son that way! And he's not the one who moved away, Mom. That was _you!" _

"Ah, but he _did _move away," Maria snapped back. "He traipsed off to Sacramento without looking back, didn't he? And as many times as you've criticized me for moving around for my job, it boggles my mind that you're standing here _defending _him for doing the very same thing! Why the double standard, Gabi? It's like you've put him on a pedestal, and no one can possibly measure up to his greatness. It's ridiculous."

Gabriella stood and began to pace angrily. "Call it what you want. I don't need to explain or justify my relationship with Troy or the reasons behind our decisions. But understand this: I'm not interested in being a trial lawyer right now. I _like _teaching. I've told you that more times than I can count. You may not like it, but you have to accept it. And you have to accept that if you want to be part of my life, part of your _grandchild's _life, then you're going to have to find a way to get along with Troy. You have to stop putting me in the middle. I love you both, and it breaks my heart that you can't be civil to one another."

"You're making it seem as if this is all my fault," Maria argued. "Why aren't you talking to Troy? Did you not hear the things he said to me?"

"Yes, and I'm going to talk to Troy. But like you said, it takes two people to argue. You need to meet each other in the middle and find some common ground."

"Easier said than done."

Gabriella knelt beside her mother. "But you have to try, Mom. Please, just _promise_ me that you'll try." Maria stared at her for several long minutes, and finally nodded her head. The tension that had crackled in the air began to dissipate. It was all Gabriella could've hoped for, given the situation, and she hugged her mother warmly. "Thank you, Mom. I love you."

"I love you too, m'ija."

It wasn't huge, but it was a step in the right direction. And for _that, _Gabriella was truly thankful.


	52. At Long Last

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 52—At Long Last**

_A/N: Many thanks to Isabella for her Spanish translations, and to Robin for steering me in the right direction when the story goes awry._

* * *

Troy slammed his fist down on the kitchen island, causing his mother to flinch.

"The _nerve _of that woman! How dare she treat Gabriella that way? I need to go back in there. Gabriella shouldn't have to deal with her alone."

He whirled toward the living room, but Lucille caught him. "Take it easy, Son. You need to calm down before you go back in there. You said so yourself."

"Do you see, Mom? Do you see why she makes me so crazy? How could anyone treat their child that way?"

Lucille smiled. "Gabriella's hardly a child. She's old enough to speak for herself, you know."

"But she doesn't," he argued. "She's so worried about everybody else's feelings that she doesn't stand up for herself."

"From what I heard after you left the room, she seems to be quite capable of defending herself. And you."

"Well, Maria had no right to come in here and stir up trouble. I wish she'd just stayed in New York. The farther away she is, the better!"

"The better for whom?" Lucille challenged. "You? Gabriella? Whether you like Maria or not, Troy, you married her daughter. It's a package deal."

"Yeah, but when I said 'for better or worse,' I didn't know that the 'worse' would include dealing with that woman," Troy muttered. He flopped down into one of the kitchen chairs, and Lucille sat next to him.

"She hasn't always been like this," she reminded him. "It's been a tough year for her, having to deal with cancer…"

"It's been a tough year for Gabriella too, but she's not using that as an excuse to act like a jerk."

Lucille reached over and squeezed her son's hand. "Honey, I know you want to protect Gabriella, but this is something that she needs to deal with on her own. It hurts her when you and Maria fight, and she shouldn't have to choose…"

Maria walked into the kitchen, and Troy frowned. "Where's Gabriella?"

"She said she needed to get some air," Maria answered with a shrug.

"What did you say to her?" Troy demanded.

Lucille put her hand on her son's arm. "Why don't you go check on Gabriella, and Maria and I will stay here and talk?"

Troy nodded sullenly and walked out the back door. Following a hunch, he circled around to the tree house and spotted her sitting on the edge with her legs dangling over the side. He climbed the ladder and sat down beside her.

"You really shouldn't be climbing ladders in your condition," he began softly.

Gabriella huffed. "Just what I need… more people telling me what to do."

"Hey, that's not fair," he countered. "Expressing concern for your safety is not the same as telling you what to do."

She deflated. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Her gaze drifted away, and she blinked rapidly, fighting tears. Troy scooted closer and took her hand in both of his.

"Talk to me, sweetheart."

She shook her head sadly. "There's nothing to say. All day I've looked forward to seeing Mom, and within twenty minutes, I'm ready for her to leave again so the fighting will stop." She looked up at him. "But it's never going to stop, is it? I don't know what to do anymore."

Troy slid his arm around her and pulled her close. "I don't have all the answers, babe. I wish I did." He paused to brush a curl off her cheek. "Can I make a suggestion, though? I can tell that you're exhausted, even after your nap this afternoon. Why don't you go on to bed, get some sleep, and then we'll start fresh in the morning and get things worked out?"

"What about Mom? She just got here…"

"And she'll still be here in the morning," he finished for her. "We all need time to calm down, and you won't feel so overwhelmed after a good night's sleep. Come on, what do you say?"

She thought for a moment and then nodded. They sat there for a few minutes more, enjoying their quiet companionship, and then Troy stood and offered his hand to her. They carefully descended the ladder, and after a quick explanation to their mothers, Troy followed his wife into the bedroom and helped her get settled. He stayed beside her until he knew she was asleep, then eased out of bed and left the room, closing the door behind him. Lucille and Maria had moved back into the living room, and he joined them there.

"Is she okay?" Lucille asked.

"Yeah," Troy answered. "Between the long car trip, the change in altitude, and the stress we caused, she was just about at the end of her rope. She's sleeping now." He blew out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Maria, we've got to stop doing this to her."

She looked up sharply, ready to make an angry retort, but then her shoulders slumped and she nodded. "You're right."

They both stood there uncertainly until Lucille cleared her throat. "Why don't we all have a seat?" Once seated, Lucille went on. "Troy, Maria and I were talking about this while you were in the bedroom, and we agreed that as mothers, neither of us wants to hurt our children. All three of us can agree that we love Gabriella very much and that we all want what's best for her. Fair enough?"

He nodded. "But the issue we seem to run into is that we have differing ideas about what is truly the best for her."

"I agree," Maria added. "I think it's important to push her to achieve her goals. That's what I've done her entire life."

"Her goals, or yours?" Troy muttered.

"What are _your _goals for her, Troy?" Maria shot back. "Have more babies? Give up her career to be a stay-at-home mother? My daughter did not work and study and plan throughout her school years to become a kept woman."

"Gabriella is _not _a kept woman," he argued. "She works just as hard as I do, and if you were around more, you would know that!"

"So we're back to that," Maria snarled. "Always back to that. Do you really want me around more, Troy? Be careful what you wish for."

He sighed. "Yes. I want Gabriella to be happy, and I know that she misses you and wishes she could see you more often. But it's counterproductive if you and I fight every time we get together."

"Which is why we're working on resolving the issues between you," Lucille interrupted. "Maria, you said that you wanted Gabriella to go back to working as a trial lawyer. But we all heard her say that she's not interested in that right now. She enjoys teaching."

"And she's really good at it," Troy added. "Not that she wasn't good in the courtroom... Well, let's face it, Gabriella's pretty much great at everything she does."

"Which is why it irritates me that she's not living up to her potential," Maria replied.

"That's your opinion," Troy countered. "She's happy doing what she's doing. If she's happy, then you should leave her alone."

Maria shook her head. "I never would have predicted, when you two graduated from East High, that you'd end up with a more advanced degree than Gabi has."

"Look, Maria." Lucille's calm façade gave way to irritation. "Jack always dreamed that Troy would be a professional basketball player, but that was not a path that Troy chose to pursue. He wasn't initially thrilled when Troy said he wanted to major in theatre, but eventually he got on board because he saw how much Troy enjoyed it. When Troy decided to study medicine, we both worried that he might be getting in over his head, but we supported him. He has worked hard for his medical degree, and Jack and I are _very _proud of him. We would've been equally proud if he'd become an actor, basketball player, or construction worker because he's our son, and that's what parents are_ supposed_ to do."

Maria sat in stunned silence for a couple of long minutes, until Troy cleared his throat. "Maria, I'll make this promise to you. When Gabriella decides that she's ready to pursue her Ph.D., I will do everything I can to enable her to do it—adjust my work schedule, take care of the baby, or even move to a different city. I'll support her every step of the way. When _she's _ready. It's _her _decision. That means that you need to leave her alone about it. Can you do that?"

She considered that. "I can't promise I'll never mention it again, but I'll try."

"Thank you," he told her sincerely. "Your daughter means the world to me. I'd do _anything_ for her. I hope you know that."

"I do," she answered. "There's something else, though, something I didn't get a chance to tell Gabi." She sighed. "My mother is very ill. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis several years ago, but apparently it's advanced to the point of debilitation. My father has moved her to Corpus Christi for treatment, but at this point I don't know that there's much they can do except keep her comfortable."

Troy frowned. "How long have you known about this?"

"I've known her health was deteriorating for awhile now, but they just moved up to Corpus Christi a couple weeks ago," Maria told him. "I knew I'd be seeing Gabi this weekend, so I thought it would be best to tell her in person."

Lucille squeezed Maria's arm. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you." Maria's lips twisted. "Mamá and I have had our differences, but I hate to think of her suffering. I'm going to visit her on the way back to New York. That's why I was late. I was trying to finish a project so that I can stay in Texas for a few days if necessary." She returned her attention to Troy. "Your wedding was the last time Gabriella saw her grandparents, but I know she'll be upset that she can't visit them."

"You're probably right," Troy nodded. "But it's too risky."

"I understand. Gabi would be devastated if something happened to the baby." She bit her bottom lip. "I think we all would. I can't imagine anything worse."

"Gabriella's had some complications with her pregnancy, but her obstetrician says everything's going well now," Troy assured her. "She's right where she should be for 27 weeks."

Maria nodded gratefully. "Troy, I know you're supposed to get Gabi out of the house in the morning so Lucille and Taylor can decorate for the shower, but if it's all right with you, I'd like to take her out for breakfast instead. It'll give the two of us a chance to start mending our relationship. If we still have time to kill afterwards, I'll tell her I need to shop for a gift for Zeke and Jasmine's reception."

"Sounds like a plan," Troy smiled. "I'll ask her as soon as she wakes up."

...~«ώ»~...

He didn't exactly wait for her to wake up, though. Early the next morning, Troy climbed out of bed to shower and shave, knowing that it would be a busy day with the baby shower at 1:00 and the reception that evening. When he emerged from the steamy bathroom, he knelt on the bed beside Gabriella and bent down to nuzzle his nose into her neck. When she started to stir, he began to kiss the tender spot behind her ear, smiling against her skin when she moaned and rolled over.

"Good morning, sunshine," he teased. "Sorry to wake you up so early, but your mom wants to take you out to breakfast."

Frowning, she turned back over and buried her face under the covers. "Tell her to come back later."

He laughed and pulled back the covers. "Sorry, babe. No can do. She's already here waiting for you, so you need to get up and grab a shower."

Gabriella pouted at him. "Troy, I'm tired. Please, just tell her we'll have lunch together."

He leaned down to kiss her again. "You know, you're beautiful when you're all grumpy and disheveled."

That earned him a glare. "I am _not _grumpy," she insisted. "And since when are you taking my mom's side over mine?"

"I'm always on your side, baby," he replied lowly, slithering down to press his body against hers. "Or behind you, on top of you… whichever position you prefer. I'll make a deal with you. Be a good girl and get up now, and tonight, after the reception, I'll make sure our parents take a _very _long detour so we have the house all to ourselves. How does that sound?"

She stared up at him indecisively before throwing off the covers and sitting up on the side of the bed. "You'd better be worth it," she said crossly.

He couldn't help but laugh at her gruffness. "I'll do my best."

...~«ώ»~...

By the time she finished in the shower and walked into the kitchen, Gabriella's mood had improved significantly. Troy sat with Jack, Lucille, and Maria, each of them nursing a mug of steaming coffee, and he stood and approached her for a kiss.

"Feeling better?" he asked quietly.

"Mmhmm," she hummed as she took his hands and laid them on the underside of her belly. His palms flattened against her rounded figure, fingers pointing toward the floor. He applied gentle pressure, lifting the weight of the baby for her. She smiled up at him just as one of the baby's limbs pressed out against his fingers. He laughed delightedly as he felt the baby rotate and stretch. Gabriella cupped his face and leaned closer, sharing the intimate moment with him. He never tired of those moments, feeling the movement of his baby, knowing that the precious life he and Gabriella had created was growing inside her. It was magical every single time. He gave her a lingering kiss and then reluctantly pulled away.

"Hey, guys… The baby's moving! Who wants to feel it?" he asked over Gabriella's shoulder. Both women raised their hands excitedly, and Troy rotated Gabriella so that she faced them. He stood behind her, grinning proudly.

Gabriella pressed Lucille's hand into one side of her abdomen and Maria's into the other.

"Jack, do you want to feel it?" Gabriella asked. He nodded and stood up behind Lucille. She settled his hand on her belly with the others, and it took only a few moments before the baby wiggled. The women let out delighted squeals, and Jack's face split into a goofy grin.

"Hola, pequeño bebe," Maria said softly. "No puedo esperar a conocerte."

"The baby's not quite ready to meet everyone yet, Mom."

"Three more months," Troy added.

Gabriella looked over her shoulder at Troy, and he winked at her, knowing what she was thinking. After their rough start the night before, it was astonishing that the whole family was brought together in such a simple way, through the movements of their tiny unborn child.

Finally, the baby seemed to find a comfortable position and settled down, and the grandparents-to-be returned to their coffee. Lucille glanced at the kitchen clock, and Maria cleared her throat.

"Come on, m'ija. I don't know about you, but it's been ages since I've had huevos rancheros for breakfast. Are you ready?"

"That sounds delicious," Gabriella agreed. "Let's go."

...~«ώ»~...

Hours later, Gabriella leaned her head against the headrest and watched the familiar scenery pass by as Maria drove back to the Boltons' house. Gabriella was tired, but it was a _good _kind of tired. She and her mom had had a great talk over breakfast, and she was relieved that things finally seemed to be resolved between them. They would never agree on everything, but they had a foundation with which to resolve their differences going forward. Gabriella felt closer to her mother than she had in more than a year.

After breakfast, Maria had dragged Gabriella to a nearby department store, insisting that she needed to buy a gift for Zeke and Jasmine. Once inside, though, Maria had gone straight to the maternity section, and had made Gabriella try on practically every piece in the store. They'd purchased several outfits, and Maria had insisted that Gabriella change into one of her new dresses before they went home. For Troy's benefit, Maria had explained. By that point, Gabriella had been too tired to argue, so she'd chosen a simple wrap dress with ruching along the bust and neckline. She had to admit that it was comfortable, and it coordinated with the ballet flats she'd slipped on that morning.

When they pulled into the Boltons' driveway, Troy and Jack were trimming tree branches in the front yard. Troy jogged over to Gabriella's side of the car, smiling as he pulled off his work gloves and stuffed them into the back pocket of his jeans.

"I missed you," Troy told her as he helped her out of the car. "Wow, you look gorgeous!" Across the metal roof, Maria winked at her daughter.

"Thank you. We had a wonderful time together." She bit her bottom lip. "But I've been feeling bad for being so grouchy with you this morning."

He waved off her concern and grinned wolfishly. "Baby, when you look like that, you can be as grouchy as you want!"

She slapped at his chest. "You're so shallow."

"Hey, how do you think I managed to score such a hot wife?"

She moved closer and trailed her fingers up his chest. He'd found an old East High shirt that he wore under an unbuttoned flannel shirt, and Gabriella appreciated how the too-small fabric stretched across his broad chest and hard abs. "Funny that you should mention scoring, Wildcat…" She sent an obvious glance in the direction of the tree house.

"Trust me, I haven't forgotten," he murmured, leaning in for a kiss before turning toward his father. "Dad, I'm going in to get a drink," he called. "Do you want anything?"

"Water's fine," Jack called back. He gave Gabriella a little wave and then returned his attention to his work.

Maria had already grabbed her shopping bags and disappeared into the house, so Troy pulled the remaining packages from the car and slammed the trunk shut. He offered his hand to Gabriella, and together they walked to the front door. Once there he stepped back to let Gabriella enter first. The lights were out, and she started to turn back when the room suddenly exploded with shouts of "Surprise!" Gabriella took a step back, and Troy was there with a hand on the small of her back, easing her forward into the house.

"What the…?" she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in shock as she scanned the sea of faces. "Taylor! And Kelsi! I can't believe you're here! Jasmine! Oh my goodness, Martha! And you brought the baby!" There were others—Lucille and Maria, more friends from high school—but their faces soon blurred as Gabriella blinked back tears. She turned to Troy, and he was grinning from ear to ear. "You knew about this!"

"Yep," he confirmed happily. "I was supposed to keep you away from the house this morning, but since your mom took over that responsibility, I got drafted onto the decorating committee. There's something a little strange about having the father-to-be decorate for his own baby's shower."

"Don't let him fool you, Gabi," Taylor interjected. "He popped more balloons than he blew up!" She smirked at him. "And Mr. Father-to-be, since you worked so hard getting ready for the shower, we'd be glad to let you stay and enjoy it!"

Troy blanched a little bit. "Uh, I'd love to, but, um… I really need to help Dad trim the rest of the trees." He sent a pleading look at Gabriella, and thankfully she came to his rescue.

"You're right, honey," she told him with a twinkle in her eye. "Your dad's not getting any younger. Run along." She reached around and patted his backside playfully, and the women laughed.

Troy seized the opportunity and backed out the door with his hands up. Gabriella giggled as she watched him retreat.

"Now, let's get a better look at you," Taylor said. She took Gabriella's arm and turned her to face the group. She pretended to study her intently, and then her face split into a smile. "You look beautiful!"

She pulled her friend into a hug, and soon the other women stepped forward to hug her and offer their congratulations.

Taylor shooed everyone into the dining room for refreshments, and the shower continued on from there. It was all a wonderful blur of smiles and laughter, games and gifts. Gabriella loved every minute of it.

By the time the party ended and most of the women were gone, Jack and Troy had finished their work outside. Lucille, Taylor, and Maria were in the kitchen cleaning up, and Troy found Gabriella sitting on the couch amid a sea of pastel-colored baby clothes, blankets, bottles, diapers, and a few contraptions that he couldn't identify.

"Hey," he greeted softly as he cleared off some space to sit beside her. "Did you enjoy the shower?"

"It was great," she murmured distractedly. A small pile of baby clothes was folded on her lap, and she held up a soft yellow onesie that was adorned with a chubby giraffe appliqué. "It's… so tiny. It's all so… tiny."

"Yeah, it is," Troy agreed, reaching out to rub the soft cotton between his fingers. She continued to stare absently at the outfit in her hands, and he slipped his arm around her. "Are you okay?"

"Everything is just… surreal… right now," she confessed. "In a few months, we're going to have this tiny baby that fits into these tiny clothes, and we've never done this before…" She looked at him earnestly. "What if we make a mistake?"

He chuckled. "I'm sure we'll make a _lot _of mistakes. That's what new parents do. But we're a good team, and we'll figure it out together."

Gabriella nodded and refolded the outfit. Then she looked Troy over and pouted. "You changed."

He frowned at the abrupt change of topic. "Yeah… Mom threatened to call in a Hazmat team if we didn't shower and change. We didn't smell _that _bad!"

Her lips twisted thoughtfully. "I kind of liked that look on you—that whole rugged, sexy lumberjack vibe you had going on."

He grinned wickedly. "Well, well, well… So the little mother-to-be has a thing for mountain men, huh? Good to know!"

"Shh!" she hissed, looking toward the kitchen. "You don't have to tell everyone in the house!"

He moved closer, so that when he spoke she felt the heat of his breath on her ear. "Trust me, baby. This will be our dirty little secret!"

She shivered. Troy was a very creative lover, and somehow she knew she hadn't seen the last of his lumberjack look.

...~«ώ»~...

The setting sun was casting long shadows over the red rock hills that surrounded Lava Springs as Zeke and Jasmine's guests arrived. The reception, hosted by Zeke's parents, was for the Albuquerque-area family and friends who'd been unable to attend Zeke and Jasmine's New York wedding the previous month. As Troy and Gabriella entered the cavernous lobby and headed for the ballroom, Gabriella squealed when she spotted Chad, Taylor, and Eli. Troy chuckled. She'd just seen Taylor a few hours before, but the little boy in Chad's arms was the focus of her attention.

"Eli! I can't believe how big you're getting!"

"Hey, buddy," Chad encouraged his son. "Can you say hi to Gabriella?"

"Hi, Gabi-lella," Eli echoed, flashing her a charming smile.

"It's good to see you, Gabs," Chad added, giving her a one-armed hug and kissing her cheek. When he stepped back, he swept his gaze down and back up and grinned mischievously. "Have you put on some weight since we saw you last?"

"Very funny," Gabriella answered just as Taylor planted an elbow in Chad's side.

"Please forgive my husband's atrocious manners," she said sternly. "He spends so much time with high school kids that sometimes he forgets he's supposed to be the mature adult."

"Some things never change," Troy added, stepping in to hug his lifelong friend.

They began to move towards the ballroom, and Gabriella observed, "This feels like a repeat of our high school reunion."

"You know, Gabriella, people say that when you show up at your reunion pregnant, your classmates think that's all you've been doing since high school," Taylor told her. "But when you show up six months after the reunion and you're six months pregnant…" She raised her eyebrows and sent an obvious glance at Gabriella's stomach. Troy and Chad guffawed, and Gabriella's face turned as scarlet red as her dress. She knew their baby hadn't been conceived until a few weeks _after _the reunion, but her body reacted to the memories of her late-night tryst with Troy in the tree house the night of the reunion. Despite his laughter, she could tell that Troy remembered that night as well. His pupils dilated and he sent her a heated look.

The size of the crowd was growing, and Taylor suggested that they go in and find their seats for the dinner. Troy and Gabriella sat with Chad, Taylor, and Eli, along with Jack and Lucille, Maria, and Charlie and Sandra Danforth. They made easy conversation as they ate, and as soon as the plates were cleared, the DJ invited Zeke and Jasmine to the dance floor. Zeke wore a black suit and Jasmine wore a cream-colored lace sheath. Partway through their dance, Zeke's mother released Tiara, and she toddled across the smooth floor to join her parents. The three of them danced together as cameras flashed.

Others joined the couple on the dance floor, and soon Gabriella swayed in Troy's arms, her body pressed against his.

"I love that dress on you," he told her softly. She wore a sleeveless knee-length red dress with a black sash under her breasts. She smiled, and he leaned closer. "I'll love it even more when I can take it off of you."

"Did you convince your dad to take the scenic route on his way home?" she asked.

"Not yet, but don't worry, I'll take care of it." He glanced over at their table. "What about your mom?"

"She's going straight back to the hotel since her flight is so early in the morning," Gabriella told him. "She said we shouldn't get up to see her off since we have such a long drive ahead of us."

Troy tightened his arms around her. "Are you okay with that?"

"She's going to see _Abuelita_ Estella. I can't fault her for that." Her gaze drifted away. "I wish I could go with her. I was never particularly close to my grandparents, but it feels… disrespectful… to stay away."

"Sweetie, I wish I could take you to see her, but Dr. Grant doesn't want you to fly. Sometimes doctors make exceptions for third-trimester flights, but it's too risky in your case. I'm sorry, but there's no way around it."

Gabriella nodded, knowing he was right, but still hating the unfortunate timing. The music played on, and they danced in silence for awhile. Troy's embrace was comforting, and when the next song ended, she offered him a grateful smile.

"I think I'll sit this next one out," she told him. "My shoes are starting to pinch."

He led her off the dance floor and back to the table, and then, to Gabriella's amazement, asked Maria if she'd like to dance. It was a tremendous symbol of the progress they'd made in their relationship in the past 24 hours. She watched them happily until Kelsi and Ryan came over with Molly and Abby in tow.

"How are you feeling, Gabriella?" Ryan asked as she stood to hug him. "You look great."

"Thank you," she replied. "I'm doing well."

She sat back down and looked Molly in the eye. "And how are you, Molly? You're in preschool now, right?"

The little girl nodded. "I'm five. Next year I'll be in kindergarten."

"Wow, you're growing up so fast!"

Molly beamed as Kelsi sat next down to Gabriella and pulled Abby into her lap. "Abby, do you remember Miss Gabi?"

Abby sat silently, her attention focused on Gabriella's rounded belly. Gabriella smoothed her hand over it, noticing that it had drawn Molly's attention as well.

"Gabi has a baby in her tummy," Kelsi explained.

"You do?" Molly asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes," Gabriella smiled. "Would you like to feel it?"

Molly stepped forward, and Gabriella took her hand and pressed it against the side of her abdomen. She held it there for several long moments, but felt nothing.

"The baby must be sleeping right now," Gabriella told her. "But when its awake, it likes to move and kick."

Molly shrugged. "Mommy's baby doesn't move either."

Surprised, Gabriella looked up to see Kelsi biting her lip and Ryan grinning behind her.

"You're…? Kelsi, you didn't tell me that you're…"

"Pregnant," Kelsi finished for her. "About ten weeks along. We just told our parents yesterday." She returned her attention to her daughter. "Gabi's baby will be born before our baby. That's why her belly is bigger. My belly will get bigger, just like hers, and in a few months we'll be able to feel our baby move."

"Congratulations!" Gabriella exclaimed. "Why didn't you say anything at the shower this afternoon?"

"It was your party, and you deserved to have the attention," Kelsi told her. "I didn't want to steal your thunder…"

Ryan whistled lowly and muttered under his breath, "Speaking of stealing thunder…"

At the same time, Abby squealed. "Aunt 'Pay!"

Gabriella's stomach tightened, and she turned to see Sharpay breeze into the ballroom dressed in a white beaded gown that out-dazzled Jasmine's dress by a landslide. Abby scooted off of Kelsi's lap and ran with Molly towards their ostentatious aunt. Ryan chased after them, and Kelsi shook her head.

"Did Zeke invite her?" Gabriella wondered.

"Who knows?" Kelsi answered disgustedly. "But we both know Sharpay wouldn't let a little something like lack of an invitation keep her away."

"What about her precious Vegas show?" Gabriella asked with an eye roll.

"Oh, that's done," Kelsi told her. "It closed a couple months ago. She says she's moving to Hollywood as soon as she sells her condo in Vegas. She's already landed her first movie role."

Gabriella's eyes widened. "Really? She's going to be in a real movie?"

Kelsi giggled. "It depends on who you talk to. Sharpay told us that it's a starring role in a major motion picture. Ryan did some checking and found out that it's actually a low-budget made-for-TV movie called 'Rise of the Alien Cheerleaders.'"

Gabriella snickered. "Sounds like a part that's right up her alley!"

"That's not even the best part," Kelsi went on, laughing harder. "Her character… dies… before the first commercial break!"

"That's hilarious," Gabriella laughed as Kelsi pulled off her glasses to wipe the tears from her eyes.

Both women were still giggling when Abby returned wearing a pink sparkly necklace, a leftover souvenir from Sharpay's Vegas show.

"Look, Mommy," she said proudly.

"How pretty," Kelsi told her. "Where's your sister?"

"With Daddy and Aunt 'Pay. Come on!"

The little girl took her mother's hand and, with an eye roll and a slicing motion across her neck, Kelsi stood and let Abby lead her toward her sister-in-law. Gabriella looked over at the dance floor and saw that Troy and Jack had switched dance partners. Jack danced with Maria while Troy danced with his mother. None of them seemed aware that Sharpay had arrived. Neither did Zeke and Jasmine, who appeared to be in their own little world on the dance floor. Gabriella smiled. Their love and happiness was evident, and Gabriella was glad that Zeke had found someone like Jasmine to share his life with.

The baby suddenly shifted inside her, pressing on her bladder, and the urgent need for a bathroom brought her to her feet. With one last glance at the dance floor, she hurried out of the ballroom.

...~«ώ»~...

From the dance floor, Troy watched with concern as Gabriella abruptly stood and left the ballroom. Was she upset? Feeling ill? With a quick whisper to his mother, he excused himself and moved toward the exit. Which placed him directly in the path of Sharpay Evans. He muttered a curse under his breath and tried to go around her, but she honed in on him like a heat-seeking missile.

"Hi, Troy," she purred as she approached. "I'm so glad to see you here tonight. I really wanted to talk to you…"

"Sharpay, can this wait? I need to go check on Gab…"

"No, it can't wait," she interrupted. Taking hold of his arm, she pulled him out of the walkway and steered him to an unoccupied area behind and to the right of the dance floor. As much as Troy wanted to yank his arm from her grasp and walk away, he'd been raised better than that, so he allowed her to lead him. He also felt a degree of morbid curiosity, wanting to see what ridiculous scheme she'd cooked up this time. His patience was in short supply, so as soon as she stopped, he folded his arms across his chest.

"What's this about, Sharpay?"

She took a moment to brush a hand through the blonde hair draped over her shoulder, and then trailed a manicured finger down the bustline of her dress. It was low-cut, almost to her navel, and the gesture that she surely thought was sexy and enticing was actually, in Troy's opinion, desperate and pathetic.

"I saw you dancing with your mom, and I wanted to make sure you were all right." She touched his arm sympathetically. "I'm sure it's a difficult time for you, having to accept Gabriella's infertility." He started to interrupt, but she gestured for him to be quiet. "And I know you didn't want to talk about this at the reunion, but now that you've had time to think about it…" She exhaled a dramatic sigh. "My offer is still open. Since Gabriella can't give you children, I'm willing to offer myself—my eggs, that is—to make your dream of having a family come true."

Troy's eyes narrowed, and as he opened his mouth to tell Sharpay what she could do with her eggs, he saw Gabriella reenter the ballroom. An idea formed in his mind, but he needed to stall for a few moments until Gabriella was back in her seat. He scratched his head, pretending to consider her offer.

"I don't know, Sharpay," he told her. "Gabriella and I talk all the time about having a baby. In vitro fertilization is so expensive, though…"

She seemed to anticipate his response and took a step closer. "Well, there are _other _ways to conceive that don't involve medical intervention…"

Troy's anger grew, and he struggled to keep his face neutral. "That's true, but I think we should talk it over with Gabriella. Come on."

Before she could argue, he took her elbow and guided her across the room. Gabriella looked up as they approached, and Troy winked at her, letting her know that he was up to something.

"Sweetie," he began. "Sharpay was just telling me how she's willing to help us have a baby. Now, I know this is kind of a sore subject with you, but I think we should hear her out."

Gabriella, it appeared, had caught on, and she nodded solemnly. Sharpay was stunned speechless, unable to believe that the couple might actually consider her offer.

"I, um… well, I was just telling Troy that, um…" she sputtered.

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you very well over the music," Gabriella interrupted. Troy bit his lip as he pulled out Gabriella's chair and helped her to her feet, blocking Sharpay's view. With a conspiratorial smile, he stepped out of the way, and Sharpay's eyes instantly went to Gabriella's round belly.

"Wha… what? But, I thought… How did…?"

"How did Gabriella get pregnant?" Troy asked, glancing around to make sure nobody else was close enough to hear them. "The old-fashioned way. We had sex. _Lots_ of sex. My sperm, her egg, and voilà, we made a baby. So it looks like we won't be needing your help after all."

Realizing she'd been set up, Sharpay crossed her arms and stomped her foot. "Troy Bolton, of all the cruel, hurtful things to do…"

"It doesn't feel quite as satisfying when the tables are turned, does it?" Troy asked rhetorically. "I took a page from the Sharpay Evans play book to give you a taste of your own medicine. I've told you this before, and I'm saying it tonight for the last time. I am not interested in you. I'm in love with Gabriella. I've promised to spend the rest of my life with her, and that's exactly what I intend to do. We're done here, and if you'll excuse us, I'd like to go dance with my wife. Have a nice life, Sharpay."

He slipped his arm around Gabriella's waist and led her to the dance floor, not bothering to look back. It felt good to finally put Sharpay in her place after all the mean things she'd done to Gabriella. Once they reached the polished wood floor, Gabriella turned to face him. Her expression was unreadable, and he wondered if she thought he'd gone too far. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a searing kiss. He leaned into it and kissed her just as intensely.

"That was one of the hottest things you've ever said," she sighed before kissing him again. Nearly forgetting where they were, he pressed his rapidly-growing erection against her stomach and groaned when the baby rolled between them.

"Troy," she breathed against his mouth. "Please…"

"Give me a minute," he answered. He couldn't exactly walk off the dance floor with a hard-on.

She nodded and put some distance between them. They swayed to the music, trying to rein in the heat between them, and by the time the song ended, they were ready to go.

"I need to say goodbye to Mom," she said.

"I'm going to go talk to Dad," he told her.

Jack and Lucille were chatting with the Danforths near the bar, and when Charlie excused himself to get a drink, Troy seized the opportunity and pulled his dad aside.

"Dad," he began. "Could you and Mom take the long way back home tonight? Please?"

Jack frowned. "Why would I do that? That adds at least twenty minutes to the trip!'

Troy looked at him intently. "_Dad. _I need to be alone with Gabriella. I haven't had her to myself all day."

"Well, you'd better get used to that. Once the baby's born, you'll _never _be alone with her. You'd better enjoy it while you can."

"That's what I'm _trying _to do! Isn't there someplace you could stop on the way home? Bar? Grocery store?" He leaned closer. "Gabriella gets a little freaked out about doing it… stuff… when you guys are in the house."

Jack crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, Son, you're going to have to get creative then. Having you in the house never slowed down your mother and me…"

"Ew, Dad! No!" Troy covered his ears with his hands. "We're not talking about you and Mom right now… or _ever, _for that matter! Please! I can't listen to this!"

"And I don't need to hear about my _son's _sexual adventures," Jack replied, glancing over Troy's shoulder at Lucille. He smiled. "Your mother looks beautiful tonight, doesn't she?" He winked at his son. "I think I'm going to go ask her if she's ready to head home now."

"But Dad…"

"Sorry, Troy. You're on your own."

Troy watched in desperation as Jack took Lucille's arm, whispered to her, and began steering her towards the door. Before they could escape, though, Maria appeared in front of them. Gabriella hovered anxiously behind her.

"Jack, Lucille, I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a cup of coffee," she offered. "There's a wonderful little pastry shop a couple blocks from my hotel."

"No thanks, Maria, Luce and I have something else we need to do…"

Lucille patted her husband's arm. "Jack, don't be rude. Of course, we'd love to join you, Maria. Troy? Gabriella? Are you coming too?"

Maria fluttered her hand dismissively. "No, no, I'm sure the kids want to stay and visit with their friends for awhile longer." She turned to her daughter for confirmation, and Gabriella nodded her head vigorously. "If you'll just give me a moment to get my shawl, I'm ready."

Troy snickered, and Jack shot him a murderous look. When Maria returned, she offered her daughter a kiss and winked at Troy.

"We'll see you in the morning," Gabriella called as the trio headed for the door.

"I thought we were saying our goodbyes tonight," Troy reminded his wife.

She frowned at him. "Do you _want_ to go have coffee with them?"

"Hell, no."

"Me neither. That's why I asked Mom to cover for us."

"I love your mom."

Gabriella giggled. "Only because your dad shot you down. I could see the panic all over your face. You owe me one, lover."

Troy leaned close. "I'll give you more than one, baby. I'll give you as many as you want."

"Troy?" she breathed. "Let's _go_."


	53. Winter Ball

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 53—Winter Ball**

**A/N: This chapter is rated M.**

"You're doing it again," Gabriella sighed.

From the driver's seat, Troy glanced at her. "Doing what?"

"Worrying."

"How do you know I'm not just thinking about something else? Like last night?" He winked, though he doubted she could see it in the car's dark interior. They were on the way back to San Francisco from Albuquerque, and while he'd thought Gabriella was sleeping, she'd apparently been watching him.

"If you're thinking about last night and making faces like that, I'd have to be offended." She reached over and traced his jaw with her finger. "You have a tic in your jaw when you're angry or upset, or worrying. Since I know you're not angry or upset, all that's left is worrying."

"How's your head?" he asked in an attempt to change the subject—an attempt that failed because her headaches were the subject of his worrying.

She leaned her head back against the headrest. "It still hurts, but it's fine. I always get headaches when I go to Albuquerque, because of the change in altitude. You know that."

"It's not just the headaches, though," he pointed out. "Your feet are swollen, and your blood pressure is up. I don't like that combination of symptoms."

"My feet are swollen because I've been sitting in the car for almost twelve hours," she explained calmly. "And after everything that happened this weekend, _including _last night, it's not all that surprising that my blood pressure is a little high."

"Sex shouldn't increase your blood pressure," Troy argued. "During sex, yes, your blood pressure increases, but afterwards you should be relaxed."

She looked up at him through her eyelashes. "Maybe we should've checked _your _blood pressure last night. I have a feeling that it took a while for your heart to stop racing after everything we did." They'd had a _lot _of sex the night before. Taking advantage of Jack and Lucille's absence, they'd been all over the house—the living room, kitchen, staircase, and shower. He had carried her from place to place, sometimes without even removing himself from her body. When Gabriella's phone had chirped with a message from Maria, warning them that Troy's parents were on the way home, he'd taken her to bed to finish. She hadn't just been relaxed; she'd felt worn out, well-used, and very satisfied.

"My blood pressure is normal," he told her. "You're pregnant, you had an insanely busy weekend, and you found out that your grandmother is terminally ill. None of those things are very conducive to stress management."

Gabriella was grateful that, in the darkness of the car, Troy couldn't see her roll her eyes.

"You worry too much. Yes, my head hurts and I'm tired, but I'm _fine." _She pointed to a sign that announced the gas stations, hotels, and restaurants that were available at the next exit. "Actually, I _could _use a restroom, a snack, and a chance to stretch my legs."

Troy hesitated, wondering if he should press the issue about whether she was as 'fine' as she claimed she was. Finally giving up, at least for the moment, he sighed, signaled and exited the highway.

...~«ώ»~...

"Troy? Is that you?"

He chuckled as he set down his briefcase and dropped his keys on the table. After a quick search, he found her in the spare bedroom. She was sitting on the bed, surrounded by baby clothing. "Were you expecting someone else?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorjamb with a grin.

"Well, it could've been one of my secret lovers." She tapped her fingertips on her lips thoughtfully. "Let's see, today's Wednesday, which means that Paul should be here any minute."

"Is that so?" Troy played along. "I hope he's ready for a fight, because I'm a selfish guy. I don't like sharing my woman."

She pretended to consider that. "Do you think you can take him?"

Troy pushed off the doorjamb and flexed his biceps. Gabriella breathed silent thanks that he was wearing a short sleeve shirt. His arm muscles were fantastic on their own, but his flexing also pulled the cotton material taut against his pecs, which were equally magnificent. She pushed herself up off the bed and came to stand in front of him. Then she traced a finger along the thick vein that snaked down his arm and released a long sigh. He chuckled and relaxed his muscles.

"I know that sigh," he murmured, stroking his thumb across her cheek. "That's a 'dinner's going to have to wait awhile' sigh."

A soft moan escaped from her lips, and he cupped her face with his hands as he leaned down to kiss her. She threaded her arms around his waist and slipped her fingers under the hem of his shirt. Far too soon for her liking, he pulled back to look at her anxiously.

"It looks like you have some swelling in your face."

Gabriella's eyes widened, and she took a step back, dropping her arms to her sides. "Wow, you really know how to kill the mood. Maybe you should dump a bucket of cold water over my head while you're at it."

He took her hands and tilted his head, still studying her. "I'm sorry, babe, I didn't mean for it to come out that way. I'm just concerned. You shouldn't have this much swelling at this stage of your pregnancy."

"The book said that swelling is normal in the third trimester," she reminded him.

"That may be, but I want to check your blood pressure, just for my own peace of mind. Then we can pick up where we left off."

She rolled her eyes. "If I tell you I'm out of the mood, will you quit harping about my health?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I'm trying to track your symptoms so I can discuss them with Dr. Grant at our appointment next week."

"Fine, _Doctor,_" she huffed. "Let's get it over with."

As he turned to follow her, puzzled by her abrupt mood change, he noticed the step-stool set up in front of the closet. "Wait," he instructed. She turned back to face him. "Were you up on the step-stool?"

"Yes, I was," she answered defiantly. "I'm 5 foot 2. I can't reach the top shelf without it. It's only three steps, and as you can see, I survived."

Troy took a deep breath and released it slowly, trying to control his irritation. He realized that the box of baby clothes that she'd laid out on the bed had come from the closet shelf. "Gabriella. I've _told _you that you shouldn't be climbing or lifting things. It's an unnecessary risk."

She planted her hands on her hips. "I climbed up to the tree house in Albuquerque, so I figured I could handle three steps. And I lifted Eli—he's definitely heavier than that box. So stop overreacting and leave me alone."

She turned and left the room, and after grabbing his blood pressure cuff and stethoscope from their bedroom, he followed her into the kitchen. By the time he arrived, she was pulling ingredients out of the fridge to start dinner. He put his hands on her upper arms, turned her to face him, and waited until she looked up at him.

"I can't stop worrying about you, honey," he told her gently. "And I love you way too much to leave you alone when I see something that could hurt you or the baby. I'm just trying to take care of you the best way I know how."

"I get that," she answered. "But you need a little work on your beside manner. Telling me that my face looks fat, when I already feel huge and dumpy, is not a confidence-builder."

"I never said your face or any other part of you is fat," he argued. "You're not only the most beautiful pregnant woman I've ever seen, but you're hands-down the most beautiful woman I know, _period._ Even if you gained 200 pounds, it wouldn't matter to me." He reached out to stroke her belly. "I happen to think that having a man's baby is one of the sexiest things a woman can do."

Gabriella's shoulders relaxed. "Thank you. I'm sorry for getting upset with you." She turned back to the counter so he couldn't see the smile that quirked her lips. "What was I thinking, marrying a doctor?" she philosophized.

"You were thinking, 'Damn, that man looks _hot _in a stethoscope!'"

She turned to see him striking modeling poses with his stethoscope around his neck like a feather boa. He looked ridiculous, and she couldn't hold back her laughter.

"Actually, I've always had a thing for guys with lab coats," she teased.

"I'll make a deal with you," he offered, approaching and taking hold of her hips. "Let me take your blood pressure, and then I'll put on my lab coat and give you a head-to-toe examination."

"I'm feeling a little weak in the knees, Doctor," she replied. "I hope your exam is very thorough."

"Anything for my favorite patient. _Anything._"

...~«ώ»~...

Troy sat down his tray and did a quick scan of the hospital cafeteria.

"No Mark?" he asked Kelly.

"He's in surgery," she answered before biting into her sandwich.

"He must be thrilled to be back at work."

"No, _I'm _thrilled that he's back to work," she corrected. "He's been driving me absolutely nuts at home."

Troy chuckled. "Dr. Overman said he'll probably only need a couple more weeks of physical therapy."

Kelly shook her head. "He doesn't even think he needs that long. If he hadn't had to do therapy to get clearance to return to work, I guarantee you he would've quit three weeks ago."

"He just _started_ three weeks ago," he pointed out.

"Exactly." She laid down her sandwich and brushed the crumbs off her fingers to take a drink. "How's Gabi doing? Is she looking forward to the hospital ball Saturday night?"

"I guess so. She's been really tired and stressed this week, and she didn't appreciate it when I pointed out the swelling in her face last night."

"Ouch. That wasn't very nice."

He frowned. "I didn't say it to be mean. I was telling her that I was concerned about the amount of swelling that she's developed this week—her feet, her hands, and now her face. It was strictly a medical observation."

Kelly set down her sandwich again and stared at him as if he had three heads. "Troy, has Gabi ever gained weight?"

His eyebrows creased. "What time frame are you talking about? Birth to now? Yeah, she's put on a few pounds since then."

"Don't be a smartass. Let's say from when she started college."

"Gabriella has always been small," he answered easily.

"Always… until she got pregnant."

"Well, yeah, but that's not _fat, _it's baby." He looked at her quizzically.

Kelly shook her head. "I've always thought you were a pretty sensitive guy, Troy, but in this case, you're as dense as Mark. Gabriella has gained—what, about 15 pounds so far? And it's all in her abdomen. She feels huge and disproportionate, even though she looks great. Most people would guess her at four or five months along, but definitely not seven."

"I agree," Troy interrupted. "I tell her all the time how great she looks."

"Except when you told her that her face looked swollen," she insisted.

"It was a medical observation," he repeated. "I don't see what the big deal is. She was fine once I told her what I meant."

Kelly swiped her napkin across her lips and shook her head in defeat. _Men. _"When is her next appointment with Dr. Grant?"

"Monday," he answered. "I've been tracking her vitals since Albuquerque. That's when I first noticed the swelling in her feet, and her blood pressure has been creeping up."

"Do you think it's stress?" she asked. "Maybe the fight with her mom, and then the news of her grandmother's illness, bothered her more than she's letting on."

"Maybe," he agreed. "Maria's been calling with updates, but I know it bothers Gabriella that she can't go see her grandmother."

"How _are _things with Maria? You said things were better, but you said that the last time she was here for a visit too. How is it different this time?"

"After her visit in August, she's worked on the relationship with Gabriella, but she still wasn't very happy with me. Now, I think, she's trying harder with _both _of us. And maybe her mother's illness is finally making her realize the importance of family."

"That's good." Kelly checked her watch and winced. "I've got to go. Tell Gabi hi for me."

"I will," he promised. "Thanks for setting up the spa appointment with her on Saturday. Maybe all that primping and pampering will help her feel better."

"Fingers crossed. See you later."

"Bye."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella took Troy's outstretched hand and allowed him to help her out of the car. Once she was on her feet, Troy took her hand and led her toward the entrance of the Regency Center. The building housed the Regency Grand Ballroom, where the UCSF Medical Center Winter Ball was held. The annual event was for UCSF employees to raise money for the Children's Hospital. The historic building featured marble floors, high ceilings, elaborate chandeliers, and a hardwood dance floor.

Once inside the Rotunda, Troy left to pick up their tickets, and Gabriella looked up at the dome ceiling. It never ceased to amaze her, even though it was the third time that she and Troy had attended the event. Her attention, though, soon shifted to Troy, who was chatting with one of his colleagues as they waited in the ticket line. He looked suave and handsome in his black suit, and she blushed when he caught her eye and winked at her.

"Gabi!"

Gabriella turned to see Kelly and Mark approaching and gave them a little wave.

"Hey, guys! How are you feeling, Mark?"

"Never better," he grinned charmingly.

Kelly snorted. "Good, that means I don't have to wait on you anymore!"

"Well, actually, my ribs _are _still a little sore… I don't know if I'll be able to dance tonight."

"Oh, you _will _be dancing, even if I have to drag you onto the dance floor." She gestured at her slinky purple dress. "I did not buy this dress to sit on the sidelines all evening."

Mark glanced over Gabriella's shoulder. "Troy, back me up here. My wife's more concerned with her dress than my health and well-being."

Troy came up beside his wife and slipped his arm around her waist. "It _is _a nice dress…"

"Bolton, you suck," Mark scowled as he walked away to pick up his tickets.

"And what do you think of Gabi's dress, Troy?" Kelly prompted.

"I think that I'm here with the prettiest girl in the building," he answered, smiling down at Gabriella. "No offense to you, of course, Mrs. Davis."

"None taken," Kelly answered cheerfully. "In fact, I think I have to agree with you!"

Gabriella wore a long emerald green dress with an empire waist that cinched just below her breasts with three fabric flowers and a ribbon that embellished the pin-tucked bodice. The satin gown had a sheer overlay, and because her larger-than-usual breasts could actually support it, it was strapless. She'd curled her hair and let it flow freely down her back, leaving her shoulders bare for Troy's tender touch.

"Stop it, you two," Gabriella scolded, running her hand over the material covering her belly. "You don't have to exaggerate to stroke my ego. I know what I look like."

Troy turned her and held her upper arms to look her in the eye. "You look gorgeous, hot, sexy, and beautiful. If you have any other adjectives floating around in your head, get rid of them, because they're not true. I want to walk in there and let everybody see that you're pregnant with my baby."

"Oh, geez," Mark put in as he rejoined them. "Troy's doing his caveman chest-beating thing again."

Gabriella frowned. "What?"

"It's a man thing," Kelly told her as she linked arms with her friend and walked toward the ballroom. "You know, spreading his seed, knocking up his woman… it's part of proving his manhood to everyone around him."

Gabriella glanced back at the guys, who were following a few steps behind them. "Cavemen, huh?"

"Hey, we dress _way _better than cavemen," Troy argued.

"And we dance better, too," Mark added.

"Oh, yeah?" Kelly challenged. "Let's go then, macho man. It's time to put your money where your mouth is."

As she pulled her husband onto the dance floor, Troy waved at him mockingly. Gabriella smacked his backside with her handbag.

"Behave," she whispered.

"I will, for now," he countered quietly. "But when we get home tonight, I fully intend to _mis_behave."

"Good," she purred in response. "Because I fully intend to _let _you."

...~«ώ»~...

Caveman tendencies aside, Troy was unmistakably proud of his impending fatherhood as he escorted Gabriella to their table, stopping often along the way to chat with his colleagues and show her off. The more he talked to others about her pregnancy, the more confident she became. It also helped that he maintained constant contact with her body—holding her hand, caressing her shoulders, pulling her back to rest against his chest. When they finally made it to the dance floor, his arms slid around her possessively and he pulled her close as they began to sway. He'd splashed on the aftershave she loved, and she rested her head on his chest and breathed him in.

Troy, for his part, was enjoying the precious time with Gabriella. He realized that in only a few months, he would no longer have her all to himself, so he was determined to make the most of their time together. He could feel her body relaxing already, beginning to release the tension that had lived in her muscles for the past week. He nuzzled his nose into her hair, inhaling the unique flowery/spicy combination that he could never quite identify, except that it was _her _scent.

"I can't remember the last time I've seen you in a strapless dress," he murmured. "It looks amazing on you."

She looked up at him through her eyelashes. "I don't usually have enough on top to keep a strapless dress from pooling at my ankles."

"That's a picture you shouldn't put in my head when we're in public," he told her. "And your breasts are perfect. They fit right in the palms of my hands…"

His hand lifted from her waist and crept upwards, but she grabbed it and put it back where it belonged.

"Don't you dare," she hissed.

He chuckled. "Has impending motherhood turned you into a prude, Mrs. Bolton?"

"It's not that. I just know better than to encourage you in a public setting. First I let you touch my breast, and the next thing you know, we're in a dark corner with your hand up my dress."

Troy was so stunned that he pulled back to look at her. "When has that _ever _happened?"

"Remember the time when Mark dragged us to that grunge club because he was dating that weird hippie girl who played the bongos? What was her name? Sage? Saffron?" She snapped her fingers. "Sandrine! Anyway, we ended up in that corner booth…"

"Oh, yeah," he grinned cockily. "But that shouldn't count. Our sexual relationship was still pretty new at that point, and as I recall, we were _both _kind of hot and heavy then."

"I was _not!_" she argued. "You were the one with the roaming hands, not me."

"Oh, really? That's funny, because I'm pretty sure my hand was up your dress that night because you told me that you weren't wearing panties."

Gabriella blushed and looked down. He leaned in close to her ear.

"Tell me, baby… Are you wearing panties _now?_"

Her eyes lifted again in mock indignation. "What kind of girl do you think I am?"

He pulled her hips forward, so that her belly pressed against his groin. She could feel his erection, big and hard, through his trousers, and her breath caught. He chuckled against her ear and then nipped the shell.

"The kind of girl that still makes me so horny, I can't see straight."

She smiled and subtly pushed her hips forward to grind against him. "Some things never change."

...~«ώ»~...

As the evening wore on, Troy could tell that Gabriella was getting tired, so he led her to the table where Dr. Overman and his wife were seated. Two women who worked at the sports medicine clinic also sat there. Troy pulled out Gabriella's chair, sat next to her, and slid his arm around her as he made introductions around the table.

Dr. Overman's wife, Sharon, smiled at the younger couple. "Gabriella, I'm impressed by your stamina on the dance floor."

"Troy's a good dance partner," she answered. "I don't have to do much more than lean on him."

Troy waved off the compliment. "We've been dancing together since high school. By now it comes pretty naturally." He focused on his wife. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Water is fine," she replied gratefully.

Troy stood and looked around the table. "Can I get a drink for anyone else?"

The ladies shook their heads, but Dr. Overman pushed out his chair and stood. "I'll go with you, Troy. I could use a little something from the bar."

Before he turned to leave, Troy squeezed Gabriella's shoulder. When she looked up at him, he kissed her forehead and winked.

"I'll be back soon, sweetheart."

As soon as the men left, Amanda, one of the women from the clinic, leaned forward. "When is your baby due?"

"February," Gabriella answered.

"And how long have you and Dr. Bolton been married?" the other woman, Katrina, asked.

"Four years. But it's been almost twelve years since we first met."

Amanda's eyes widened. "He still treats you like a queen after _twelve years?_ My husband barely acknowledged my existence after twelve _months!_"

"Yeah, but you had a baby before your first anniversary," Katrina pointed out. "Once your first kid is born, everything changes."

Gabriella frowned. "How so?"

"Well, it's not just the two of you anymore," Katrina explained. "Before the baby, you talk about adult things—your careers, common interests, and your relationship. After the baby, it's more like, 'Honey, she pooped again. It's your turn to change her.' 'No, I changed her last. It's your turn.'"

"And enjoy his attentiveness while you still can," Amanda continued. "Once the baby's born, all his attention will be focused on his child."

"Girls, you're scaring poor Gabriella," Sharon Overman inserted, reaching over to pat her hand. "It's not nearly as bad as they make it sound."

"How many kids do you have?" Gabriella asked.

"Four," she replied. "Our youngest just turned thirteen."

"I have two," Amanda added. "I'd introduce you to my husband, but I haven't seen him in…" She checked her watch. "…forty minutes. Our kids are four and two, and we don't get many opportunities to go out by ourselves, so he takes full advantage when he gets the chance."

"Doesn't it bother you that he's not spending time with you?"

"Let's see, getting my toes stepped on out on the dance floor, or sitting here drinking tequila with my friends. It's a tough choice. NOT!" The younger women laughed and clinked their glasses together.

"What about you?" Gabriella asked Katrina. "Kids?"

"Two," she answered. "My husband left three months after our son was born. It seems his secretary was nicer to look at than me with my big belly and leaky boobs. The joke was on him, though—she got pregnant too, so now he's paying child support for three!"

She high-fived Amanda, as if being left by her husband was something to celebrate. Gabriella was dumbfounded.

"Don't let them bother you," Sharon consoled her. "Of course things will change between you and Troy when your baby is born, but it's like moving to a new phase in your relationship. Growing up, so to speak. You'll find that you worry about things like whether your kids need braces, or how you're going to pay for their college tuition, rather than whether your husband opens the car door for you."

"Or what he does late at night on the computer when everyone else in the house is in bed," Amanda added.

Gabriella swallowed hard. Of course she knew things would change when the baby came, but she couldn't bear the thought that her relationship with Troy might suffer as a result. She couldn't listen to their banter anymore. Pushing her chair out, she stood.

"I'm, uh… I need to use the ladies' room," she announced. Sharon gave her a little wave, and she picked up her handbag and escaped.

She noticed that her hands were shaking as she wove her way through the maze of tables. As she neared the back hallway that led to the restrooms, she spotted Mark and Kelly leaving the dance floor.

"Hey, Gabi," Kelly greeted her cheerfully. "Are you having fun?"

Gabriella forced a smile. "Yeah. I'm, um… going to the ladies' room." Kelly knew her friend well enough to recognize that something was not right.

"I'll go with you," she replied, linking her arm through her friend's.

"Hey, where's Troy?" Mark asked as the women turned.

"He went to get me a drink," Gabriella answered. "Mark, could you… could you catch him before he goes back to the table where we were sitting? I don't really want to go back there."

Mark's face softened, and he squeezed Gabriella's arm reassuringly. "You bet. We'll wait for you ladies to come back and then find a table of our own."

Gabriella nodded gratefully and allowed Kelly to lead her to the restroom.

...~«ώ»~...

"Hey, Bolton," Mark called as he jogged to catch up with Troy. He and Dr. Overman were already on their way back to their table, but he turned to locate his friend.

"Hi, Dr. Overman," Mark continued before turning to Troy. "Hey, Kelly and I have a table over there." He gestured vaguely over his shoulder. "Come on. Gabriella's already there."

Troy glanced around nervously, afraid to offend his mentor by leaving his table so abruptly.

"Uh, Dr. O., if you'll excuse us for a few minutes, we'll be back…"

Dr. Overman waved him away. "Not a problem. Sharon and I will probably be leaving soon anyway. We don't have nearly as much energy in our 40s as we did in our 20s. See you Monday."

Troy watched the older man return to his table before turning back to whack Mark's arm. "Dude, what the hell? I was trying to schmooze with my boss, and you had to interrupt."

Mark rolled his eyes. "It's a social event, Bolton. Schmooze with your boss at work, not when you've got a pregnant wife who, at the moment, doesn't seem to be having much fun."

Troy turned in a circle, searching the crowd. "Where is she? What's going on? She was fine when I left her."

Mark took Troy's arm and led him toward the back hallway. "She's in the restroom with Kelly. I told her we'd be waiting when they came out."

The men went to stand at the junction where the hallway opened into the ballroom. That placed them next to the stage, so most of the sounds from the party were drowned out by the live band that was performing. Troy thought he heard someone shout, but decided it must be a drunken reveler enjoying the fast-tempo Latin song that the band was playing. Then, several things happened almost simultaneously. A tray of glasses shattered on the hardwood floor. A security guard emerged from the hallway and headed for the main entrance. A woman screamed. And Mark pointed at a man who was climbing over tables, sending glass and plates flying as he tried to evade two security officers.

"What the hell is going on?" Mark asked loudly. "Who is that guy? Thief? Party crasher?"

The man was moving closer to them, somehow managing to stay ahead of the security men. Troy squinted in the dark room. The man seemed familiar… And then it clicked. "Son of a…" He grabbed Mark's arm. "That's Carl Rogers."

"Shit," Mark replied.

The two men instantly sprang into action, moving toward the ruckus to head Carl off before he escaped down the back hallway. The noise grew, with partygoers yelling as their tables were upended, until it became impossible for Troy and Mark to hear one another. Mark pointed to his left and Troy nodded, pointing to the right. They moved in, hoping to trap Carl between them and the security officers. As they neared him, though, Carl flipped a table to block Mark and shoved Troy out of his way. Troy tried to grab his arm, but he was knocked off balance and couldn't hold on. Mark let loose a string of profanities as he chased Carl in the direction of the hallway. Troy righted himself and followed. Just as they reached the opening to the hallway, the restroom door opened. Troy's heart dropped to his feet as Kelly emerged, followed by Gabriella a moment later.

"Watch out!" he yelled, but it was way too late. There was nothing he could do but watch in horror as Carl Rogers slammed full-force into Kelly and Gabriella. Time seemed to move in slow motion as all three of them crashed to the floor. Mark, several steps behind, jumped and twisted awkwardly, trying to avoid the tangled pile of limbs. He succeeded, but lost his balance and wiped out a few feet away.

"Gabriella!" Troy yelled when time began to move again. She and Kelly were sprawled on the floor. The only movement was from… _Damn it! _Carl was scrambling to his feet. Troy surged forward, intent on giving the man a long-overdue beating, but Carl had only taken a few steps before Mark's arms were around his leg, pulling him down. He hit the floor face-first, and an instant later, Troy was on top of him, wrenching his arms behind his back. Carl howled with pain, which only encouraged Troy to push his arms farther forward. He would've immensely enjoyed breaking the man's elbows, but he was pulled off by a security officer who slapped handcuffs onto Carl's wrists.

Troy and Mark crawled over to where the women lay. Gabriella was lying on her right side, her legs curled up under her dress. Troy noticed one of her shoes against the wall several feet away. Kelly was on her stomach with one arm flung across Gabriella. Mark carefully turned her over.

"Kel? Are you okay?" He smoothed back her hair and swore. She'd gotten hit on the left side of her face, and Mark gently pulled her hand away so he could get a better look. A bruise was already forming, and he traced the line of her cheekbone and around her eye socket to check for obvious breaks. "You're going to have one hell of a shiner tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Troy helped Gabriella sit up and then sucked in a breath when he saw blood on her face.

"Sweetie, did you hit your head?"

"I think it's my nose," she answered softly. He pulled the pocket square out of his suit jacket and handed it to her. He circled around behind her so that she could lean on him, and he made sure she was pinching the pressure point on her nose before his hands dropped to check the rest of her body. "Where else does it hurt? Did you fall on your stomach? Are you having pain or contractions?"

"No," Gabriella answered. "I fell on my side." She touched her hip and winced.

"I… I think I elbowed you," Kelly admitted. "Troy, I might have elbowed the side of her belly. I didn't mean to, but… you should check it…"

She tried to sit up, but Mark stopped her, guiding her instead to rest her head on his thigh. "It's okay, hon. It was an accident." He was still subtly running his hands over her body, checking for other injuries. She bit out a curse when he squeezed her left wrist, but otherwise she seemed to be okay.

"Gabi, are you okay?" She tried to lift her head, but Mark kept her still.

"I think so," Gabriella answered. "You?"

"Is there a doctor in the house?" she quipped.

"A few hundred," Mark grinned. "Any specialty you could possibly need."

Their attention was momentarily drawn back to Carl, who had just been hefted to his feet by the officers.

"Please," he pleaded with them. "I just need to talk to the hospital director. I didn't come here to make trouble. Please! He won't take my phone calls. I have to convince him to let me back into the residency program!" He noticed the two couples watching him. "Bolton! Davis! Please, talk to the director! Tell him I didn't deserve to get kicked out of the program."

"The hell you didn't," Troy growled. "You made your bed, now you have to lie in it. You have no one to blame but yourself."

Carl hung his head as the officers led him away, and Mark squeezed Kelly's arm. "Are you ready to get up?"

She glanced over at the large crowd that had gathered at the end of the hallway. Fortunately, more security guards were keeping them at bay.

"Yeah, I think so."

Mark stood first and ignored her outstretched hand, moving behind her and hefting her up with his hands under her arms. Once standing, she adjusted her dress and stood impatiently while Mark tipped her head back and took another look at her eye.

"People are going to think I beat you," he teased, cupping her jaw in the palm of his hand.

"Nah, I'll just tell them that I was in a bar brawl," Kelly answered with a smile.

"I'm glad you're okay," he told her tenderly, leaning in to give her a careful kiss.

Troy checked to make sure Gabriella's nosebleed had stopped, and then lifted her to her feet. She didn't realize until she put weight on her foot that she'd twisted her ankle. She leaned into Troy and nodded gratefully when one of the onlookers slid a chair in their direction.

"Let me take a look," he instructed. She lifted her foot into his lap, and he frowned.

"There's a lot of swelling."

"My ankles were already swollen," she reminded him. "And that was before we danced for an hour or so."

"I think we should go to the ER and get you checked out. Make sure the baby's okay."

"Troy, I'm all right. The baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid. That was probably not much more than a speed bump for it."

"Maybe he's right, Gabi," Kelly said. "You could have a placental abruption…"

"Wouldn't I have abdominal pain if that was case?" Gabriella challenged.

"Yeah, but there's always preterm labor," Mark added. "Or you could start leaking amniotic fluid…"

Gabriella stood, with help, and planted her fists on her hips. "I am _not _discussing my amniotic fluid with you, Mark Davis. You're not an obstetrician, are you?"

"Sweetie, I don't think…" Troy began.

"I am not going to be outvoted just because I'm the only one here without a medical degree. I am not cramping, or _leaking, _and everything feels fine. Troy, you always tell me to trust my instincts. Well, my instincts say that I want to go home."

They all stood silent for a few moments, and finally Troy nodded his assent.

"Do you need me to carry you?" Troy asked.

"I can walk."

"Call me if, uh… if anything comes up," Mark told them.

"I'm sorry, Gabi," Kelly told her gently. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

Gabriella nodded, and with a quick wave to Mark, she took Troy's arm and headed for the exit.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella felt like she'd been run over by a freight train. As the shock and adrenaline wore off, she became more aware of how many parts of her body hurt. She didn't need immediate medical attention, but she would definitely be sore the next day. She put her hand on her belly, silently willing the baby to move. She knew that she hadn't fallen on her abdomen—she'd instinctively rolled to protect it, which was why her hip was throbbing. The evening had been an emotional roller coaster—wonderful when she'd danced with Troy, not so good when those women had extolled the perils of having children, and terrible when she'd been knocked down. Even worse, her friends had taken Troy's side, ganging up on her about going to the ER. She was a grown woman! Why did she have to try so hard to get people to believe that?

She leaned her head against the headrest, trying to block out the streetlights and the memories. The next thing she knew, Troy's hand was on her arm, shaking her gently.

"Gabriella? We're home."

She allowed him to help her out of the car and into the house, and then made her way to the bedroom while he headed for the kitchen. Once there, she reached for the zipper on the back of her dress, and winced when her twisting motion made her aware of another sore spot. She tried again, with the other hand this time, but that hurt too. Before she could reach back for a third time, Troy's warm hands settled on her shoulders.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked carefully. "I'm sorry we upset you, but if you're feeling anything wrong—pain, cramps, spotting—then we need to get you checked out. I don't want to take any chances with your health, or the baby's."

"If I thought there was something wrong with the baby, we wouldn't be standing here," she answered tersely. Her foul mood was pointless, she realized, and she didn't want to ruin what had been, for the most part, a very nice evening. She met his eyes in the mirror over the dresser. "Thank you for tonight. Except for the last half hour or so, the ball was lovely."

"_You _were lovely," he murmured, his lips against her neck. "Gorgeous." He kissed her skin. "Exquisite." Another kiss. "Magnificently beautiful." His hands moved to her zipper, but instead of rasping it down as she expected him to, he slid it down slowly, inch by inch, pausing to kiss each ridge of vertebrae as he went. When the zipper reached its end just below her waist, he straightened purposely scraping his teeth along her spine on the way up. He didn't peel her dress off, but instead, slipped his arm around her waist, moved aside her hair, and lowered his head to kiss the soft skin on the side of her neck. He nipped it with his teeth, and then soothed it with a soft, sweet kiss.

"Troy," she sighed.

She felt his smile against her skin, and then he was kissing her again. She tilted her head, giving him more skin to taste.

"You like that, hmm?"

"You know I do," she answered. "You know all my secrets."

"Like this one?" He sucked lightly on the skin behind her ear and chuckled when a shiver rolled through her.

"Yes," she breathed.

"How about this?" He gripped her hips and turned her, and then lowered his head to kiss the hollow below her throat where her collarbones met.

She sighed contentedly.

Just as quickly as he'd turned her, he spun her again so she faced the mirror. His arms circled her waist again, and she held her breath as she watched his hands move up slowly, until they cupped her breasts. He kneaded and stroked them gently, and Gabriella leaned her head back to rest on his shoulder. His fingers slipped under the fabric, and a few moments later, her dress was sliding down her body, revealing her black lace bra. She stiffened and reached for the fabric when he began to pull it over her belly, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable. He gave the dress a little yank, and then it was puddle at her feet. She looked away, but he touched her chin and turned it back to face the mirror. Then his hands slid down her body again to caress her abdomen.

"Beautiful," he murmured. "Absolutely beautiful."

She watched his hands moving over her belly, his wedding ring occasionally catching the light.

"You _are _wearing panties," he observed, as if he'd just solved a great mystery. "Why?"

Her eyebrows dipped. "Why what?"

"Why did you wear panties tonight?"

"So you could take them off of me."

"Smart girl." But he didn't take them off. He dipped his hand underneath and touched her intimately. "I love how wet you get for me. You want me inside you."

"Yes," she whispered.

"Not yet," he answered. "But soon."

He slid one hand behind her, and a moment later her bra tumbled off. Before she could react to that, her panties did a similar disappearing act. And then he began a sweet form of torture. In the mirror, she saw his hand return to her breast. He flicked and teased her nipple until it was red and rigid, and then moved to the other breast and did the same thing. She watched his other hand disappear between her legs and felt his fingers sliding through her folds. He stroked her relentlessly, and she was near the edge when he suddenly pulled back.

"Troy!"

"Patience, lover," he murmured as he eased her over to sit on the edge of the bed. He dropped to his knees in front of her. "Can you still see me, or at least my top half?" She glanced at the mirror and nodded. "Good. I want you to watch me go down on you."

Her insides contracted, and more wetness seeped out. "Yes." She stopped him, though, before he moved into position. "Without your shirt." He chuckled and made quick work of the buttons. He slid the dress shirt off, and she gave an appreciative sigh.

"Better?" he smiled. She nodded, and he moved into position. "Open for me, baby." She did as he asked, and he moved closer, his broad shoulders spreading her legs farther apart. He kissed the insides of her thighs, one at a time, and crept closer, closer, closer… She let out a cry as his lips suddenly closed over her and sucked hard. She grabbed his head to hold him there, afraid he would move away and leave her unfulfilled. But he didn't. His pace slowed, and he licked the length of her from bottom to top.

"I love the way you taste," he murmured. "Just for me." He slipped three fingers inside her. "This is how I'll make love to you tonight. Long and slow." He demonstrated with his fingers, sliding in and out of her at a maddeningly slow pace. His mouth settled on her again, and her fingers tunneled through his hair. Her hips thrust forward, wanting more, _needing _more. She watched the mirror, watched the ripple of his muscles and the sandy brown hair that moved between her legs. Her climax was coming, and she wanted it more than her next breath. He looked up at her, sensing that she was close, and with one final suck, she came apart. He stayed with her, sucking and fingering her to make it last. When the last ripple inside her faded, he kissed her folds once more and then sat back on his heels. She slid off the bed to her knees and reached for his belt buckle, intent on returning the favor, but he caught her hands and shook his head.

"I can't," he admitted. "Not tonight. I've been hard all night, dancing with you, seeing the way your body moves in that dress. If you touch me, it'll be over. And I'm not ready for it to be over. I want to be inside you."

"I want you there," she answered. "More than anything."

"Are you sure?" he pressed. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't. You couldn't. Everything is fine. All I need is you."

He stood and dropped his pants, and the thing she wanted most bobbed in front of her, the blunt tip glistening with his arousal. She licked her lips eagerly, but he stepped back and offered his hand to help her up. As soon as she was on her feet, his mouth covered hers. He held her there for a few moments, kissing and touching her while his erection pressed against her belly. And then he began to back up, taking her with him. She vaguely wondered where they were going, and then found she didn't care as long as he got there fast. Fortunately, he only went as far as the chair in the corner of the bedroom. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"I want you," he whispered into her mouth.

"I'm yours."

She took hold of his penis and pumped him a few times, enjoying the slide of the soft skin that covered his hard shaft. He was magnificent. She rose up slightly and pressed his tip to her opening, swirling the moisture of their arousal together as if she was making a love potion. When she pulled her hand away, Troy lifted his hips to slide a couple inches in. And then he stopped.

"Troy?" she questioned.

"Slow," he grunted, his struggle to maintain control evident. "I want you to feel… every inch…"

"Mmm, yes," she moaned. Feeling the slow slide of his penis drove her wild, stimulating her both inside and out. Her muscles strained toward him, trying to draw him into her, but he resisted, pulling back before giving her more.

"This is… so good," he said hoarsely. "Feeling you stretch… You're so tight, baby. I can't stand how tight you are."

"It's because you're so big," she whispered in his ear. "That's why I have to open so wide for you."

His fingertips bit into her skin as he fought against the urge to pound into her. She scraped her teeth across the stubble on his jaw and smiled triumphantly when he pushed farther into her.

"I need more. Please," she begged. He crept in a little farther. Her body was screaming for release, and she leaned forward to catch his bottom lip between her teeth. His hips jerked reflexively and there he was, filling her to the hilt. "Yes!" she hissed. She swirled her hips, groaning as his thick shaft twisted inside her.

"Baby," he moaned, unable to keep from thrusting. She felt amazing.

She became restless on his lap, scooting, sliding, moving him around inside her, trying to find that perfect spot. His tip brushed against it, and she exploded. Her legs shook and she cried out again and again, her face buried in his chest. The waves of her orgasm shredded his control, and he took hold of her hips, lifted her up, and slammed her down on him. Again and again. He couldn't take it. He stood from the chair, spun her, and lowered her to her hands and knees on the floor. She lifted her backside in invitation, and he moved in behind her and took her. He allowed himself a few deep, powerful thrusts before he reached around to finger her clitoris. She whimpered at the overwhelming sensations, but her hips moved in time with his. He spread her legs wider, pulled out all the way, and then rammed in as hard as he dared. White light exploded in his vision, and endless spurts emptied from him into her. He held himself inside her, panting, not wanting to break their amazing connection. As he came down from his high, he kissed her bare back and felt her muscles relaxing just as his were. Finally, reluctantly, he pulled out of her and lifted her onto his lap. She clung to him, shaking, spent, but satisfied. He felt her smile against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. He didn't have to wait long before her steady breaths told him she was asleep, and he carefully lifted her and put her to bed. He climbed in beside her, held her close, and smiled until sleep claimed him too.


	54. Unwavering Support

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 54—Unwavering Support**

Troy blinked awake, momentarily confused about why his alarm hadn't gone off. As his mind cleared, he remembered that it was Sunday, and he didn't have to work that day. Memories flooded his mind from the hospital ball the night before, and he lifted his head to look at Gabriella. She'd fallen asleep nude, resting in his lap after their lovemaking, and he'd carried her to bed without redressing her. She was still asleep, lying on her left side, so he carefully lifted the blanket to check her injuries from Carl's collision with her the night before. He winced when he saw the large bruise on her right hip from the impact of her fall. Up a little higher was a round bruise on the side of her abdomen. Troy touched it gently, trying to reassure himself that the impact hadn't been hard enough to harm the baby. As Gabriella had pointed out the night before, the baby was surrounded by protective amniotic fluid in her womb. Still, he would feel better about the baby's health, and Gabriella's, once they got the all-clear from Dr. Grant at their appointment the next day.

Under his watchful gaze, Gabriella began to stir, and when she rolled onto her back and her eyes peeked open, Troy smiled at her.

"Good morning, lover," he murmured.

"Mm, good morning." She blinked a few times, and as she became more aware of her surroundings, her lips twitched. "Is there a particular reason why you're lying there staring at my naked body?"

He dropped the cover he'd forgotten he was holding up and grinned. "There's a beautiful naked woman in my bed. Do I need a reason to stare?"

She smiled and shook her head at his predictably charming response. She started to roll onto her right side and sucked in a breath through her teeth.

"Ow," she frowned.

"That bruise on your hip is pretty nasty," he commented. "How do you feel?"

"A little sore," she answered. "And… I don't know, kind of… weird. It's hard to explain."

"Weird in a bad way?"

"Weird in an 'I don't know why' way. What I do know is that I need to go to the bathroom."

She leveraged herself up, wincing as she stood on her twisted ankle.

"Need help?" he offered.

She waved him off and walked, almost normally, to the bathroom. Troy relaxed back onto the pillows, staring at the ceiling. When she came out of the bathroom, she opened a dresser drawer and pulled one of Troy's t-shirts over her head. Then she returned to her side of the bed and carefully lowered herself beside him.

"I think you're more than a little sore," he commented.

Her lips tightened into a frown. "Don't start diagnosing me again."

"Okay, okay," he murmured, scooting closer so he could pull her into his arms. She snuggled into his body, twining her legs with his.

She pressed the side of her abdomen, and Troy lifted his head.

"Is the baby moving?"

"Not right now," she answered.

"Pain?" he couldn't resist asking.

"Just a bit of discomfort, like a pinch." She released a slow breath. "It's gone now."

She relaxed back into his arms, and he cleared his throat. "I'm not trying to diagnose you, but please tell me if that happens again, okay?"

Gabriella looked up at him and smiled. "I will, I promise."

"Good girl." He kissed the top of her head. "What do you want to do today? Maybe we could start putting up Christmas decorations."

She nodded. "That'd be good, but first…" Her eyes lifted again. "Troy, could we go to the chapel service at Stanford? I know it's last-minute, but it's been awhile since we've been there and I… I'd like to light a candle for my grandmother."

He smiled warmly. "Sure, sweetie. Maybe we can meet up with Mark and Kelly for lunch on the way back."

"That'd be nice." She bit her lip. "I wonder how Kelly's feeling this morning."

Troy glanced at the alarm clock beside the bed. "We're going to have to get moving to make it to Stanford on time. Why don't you go take a shower, and I'll call Mark to see if they're free."

"Thank you," she smiled. She lifted her chin in invitation, and he kissed her before she scooted to the side of the bed and pushed to her feet.

He rolled onto his back and watched her as she gathered clothing and undergarments on her way to the shower. _Everything's fine, _he told himself. _Quit worrying. _Even as he thought it, though, he knew it was never going to happen.

...~«ώ»~...

When they got home that afternoon, Troy began pulling out boxes of Christmas decorations while Gabriella napped. She didn't seem to be suffering any ill effects from her fall, other than soreness. That was more than could be said of Kelly, who was sporting a black eye and a "killer headache," according to Mark. He had declined Troy's invitation for lunch, telling his friend that he wanted Kelly to stay home and rest. Troy smiled at the memory. Mark, who had often teased Troy about the way he doted on Gabriella, was being equally protective of his own wife.

Troy located the box that contained the outdoor Christmas lights and carried it out to the porch. Some of their neighbors went with tacky, over-the-top decorations for the holidays, but Troy preferred the less-is-more approach, with simple strands of lights along the roofline. Gabriella would complete the decor with a wreath on the front door and fresh pine boughs dotted with red bows along the porch railing.

He was up on the ladder, nearly finished attaching the first strands of lights to the roof, when he heard the front door open and close. A moment later, Gabriella peered up at him from the top of the porch steps.

"Looking good up there," she called.

"Are you talking about the lights, or me?" he teased.

She laughed. "I was talking about the lights, but I'm certainly not complaining about the hunk on the ladder either!"

He released one hand to flex his arm muscles, and she fanned herself playfully.

"How was your nap?"

"It would've been better if you'd been there with me."

"If I'd been there, there wouldn't have been much resting going on."

She giggled as he grinned down at her. "Where did you put the pine boughs?"

"They're still in the trunk of the car." He started down the ladder. "Here, let me get them for you. You shouldn't be lifting that box."

"I can carry them out a few at a time," she argued. "My _briefcase _is heavier than they are!"

"Fine, I admit it," he answered as he hopped to the ground. "I really just came down so I could do _this._" He slid his arm around her waist and gave her a sweet kiss.

"Charmer," she teased when he released her.

"Guilty as charged. You bring it out of me, babe."

He disappeared into the garage and reappeared a moment later with the box of boughs. He carried it to the porch and opened it for her before returning to the ladder. They each worked on their own areas for several minutes, and when Troy climbed down the ladder again to move to the next section of the roof, he stepped back to admire the first few boughs Gabriella had draped across the porch. He smiled when he heard her humming "Deck the Halls" to herself.

"I've just decided something," he suddenly announced.

Gabriella raised her head to look at him curiously. "What's that?"

"You are, hands down, the cutest pregnant woman on the planet," he declared.

She laughed. "Somehow I don't think that's an objective opinion, since I'm pregnant with _your _child."

"Maybe," he shrugged. "But it doesn't make it any less true."

She tilted her head. "Want to know what I think? I think that it's only a few weeks until Christmas and you're trying to butter me up."

Troy stepped back in feigned shock. "Would I do something like that?" She held his gaze, and finally he caved in and laughed. "Okay, I would _totally _do something like that. But I assure you, my love, that in this case, my intentions are completely honorable. I stand by my statement."

"In that case, thank you, honey. I'm flattered." She went back to work, and as he started up the ladder again, he couldn't resist teasing, "But now that you mention it, there _might _be a new surfboard I've had my eye on…" He dodged the bow she threw at him, winked, and ascended the ladder.

She'd come down the porch steps to check that the boughs she'd hung were draped evenly when there was a dull thud in the dirt in front and to the right of where she was standing. Troy swore above her. She lifted her hand to shade her eyes and looked up at him.

"What's wrong?"

"I dropped the pliers," he answered.

"Stay there. I'll toss them up to you."

"I think they fell behind that bush." He pointed, and she looked over.

The bush was dense and scraggly, and she bent and twisted, trying to peer through the thick branches. Troy started down the ladder to help her search, but a moment later she called out, "I see them." She moved closer, reaching for them, and suddenly let out a choked cry. She dropped to her knees, clutching her side, and Troy rushed to her.

"What happened?" he asked anxiously.

"I… I don't know… Just a sudden… sharp pain… in my side."

"Outside or inside? Could it have been a branch from the bush?"

"Inside." Her voice caught in her throat, and he realized that she was fighting back tears.

"Okay, let me help you up and out of the bushes." He slid his hands under her arms and lifted her, wincing at the cry of pain that she choked on. Once he'd moved her away from the landscaping, he lowered her to the grass and knelt beside her.

"Troy, it hurts," she told him weakly. Her fingers dug into the right side of her abdomen, just over the bruise that she'd gotten the night before. The potential injuries that Troy had forced out of his mind earlier came rushing back. She looked up at him tearfully. "Troy, what if… the baby…?"

"Shh," he soothed, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Don't jump to any conclusions. I'm going to go get my medical bag, all right?"

She nodded, and he dashed into the house. When he returned and lifted her arm to take her blood pressure, she was shaking, fearing the worst. Her heart was racing, and he knew he had to keep her calm. He cupped her face in his hands.

"Baby, listen to me," he said, willing his voice to remain calm and soothing. "Calm down, okay? Take a deep breath and let it out slowly for me." She did, and he coached her through a few more breaths. "I think we need to go to the hospital, just to be safe."

Gabriella nodded her agreement, and he lifted her, helped her to the car and buckled her in.

"My purse," she told him.

"I'll get it," he responded. "Sit tight."

When he locked the house and returned with her purse, she was leaning forward, still clutching her side. He squeezed her hand, brushed a tear off her cheek, and put the car into gear.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy held Gabriella's hand as Dr. Grant lifted her shirt and squirted jelly on her abdomen. The ultrasound machine whirred to life, and Dr. Grant pressed the wand into Gabriella's belly, just above her navel. Unlike the scheduled ultrasounds she performed in her office, this time Dr. Grant kept the screen turned away from the couple. She did a quick scan of the uterus and then slid the wand down to Gabriella's side. She had a suspicion about what was causing the problem, and she hoped she was wrong. But it took only a moment for her to find the source of the pain. She examined the area thoroughly, tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and then set down the wand and wiped the jelly off of Gabriella's abdomen. Taking a deep breath, she raised her head to face the anxious young couple.

"First of all, the baby is fine," she began. "The placenta is intact, the heartbeat is normal, and there are no signs of preterm labor."

"Thank God," Troy breathed. A tear slid down Gabriella's cheek, and he wiped it away with the pad of his thumb. "So what's the problem?"

"The fibroid we talked about last month. It's larger, and it has twisted on its stalk and cut off its blood supply."

"This is from the fall last night, isn't it?" Troy asked. "I _knew _I should've insisted that she get checked out."

"If it was from her fall, she would've experienced immediate severe pain," Dr. Grant assured him. "Don't blame yourself. No one knows exactly what causes fibroids to twist like this. It can be body movements, or simply the direction in which it grows."

"I don't understand," Gabriella spoke up. "You said not to worry. You said it wouldn't cause any problems."

"And that's true more than 95% of the time. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen this happen in all my years of experience."

Gabriella's bottom lip quivered. "You left this… this ticking time bomb inside me, and now…" She covered her face with her hands and wept.

Troy slid his arm around her and lowered his face close to hers, whispering words of reassurance. Dr. Grant waited, giving them time to absorb the news. Finally, Troy's eyes lifted to meet hers.

"What happens now?" he asked soberly.

"We're out of options. The fibroid has to come out before the dying tissue spreads infection into the abdominal cavity. I'm going to admit her tonight so that we can manage her pain and start her on antibiotics. We'll plan for laparoscopic surgery in the morning."

"Surgery?" Gabriella protested. "What about my classes? We have final exams next week!"

Troy shook his head. "Your health comes first. If the infection spreads, it'll get to the baby through the umbilical cord. We can't let that happen."

"It's not going to happen," Dr. Grant added. "I know it's frightening, Gabriella, but we're going to fix it. I promise you that the baby is not in any danger right now. Just stay focused on that." She laid her hand on her patient's leg. "I'll write up your orders and they'll move you up to the surgical unit soon. Get a good night's sleep. You too, Troy. I'll see you in the morning."

With a reassuring smile, she pulled aside the curtain and walked to the nurses' station to write her report. Despite her parting words, she doubted that any of them would sleep well that night.

...~«ώ»~...

The next morning, Troy sat beside Gabriella's hospital bed, wrestling with his thoughts as he watched her sleep. She'd been through so much during her pregnancy. It seemed cruel and unfair that, just when everything seemed to be going well, something like this would happen. Every time his thoughts turned dark, though, he had to remind himself that the baby was healthy, and Gabriella would recover after the troublesome fibroid was removed. There were other couples on the surgical floor that were dealing with far worse situations—miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, fetuses with devastating health problems that could end their lives before they even began.

There was a soft knock on the door, and then Dr. Grant walked into the room. Troy squeezed Gabriella's hand to wake her, and her eyes blinked open.

"Good morning," Dr. Grant began. "How are you feeling?"

"Better with the pain medicine," Gabriella answered.

"I'm glad to hear that. We'll be ready for you in surgery in about an hour, but I wanted to talk to you about the procedure first." She moved to sit on the foot of the bed. "Do you remember the allergic reaction you had after your last surgery, when I removed your fibroids?"

Gabriella nodded. "You said you couldn't determine which drug I'm allergic to." Her eyes widened. "What if that happens again this time?"

"There's no way to predict whether it will or won't," Dr. Grant answered. "It's a risk we need to consider. Worst case scenario, your immune system could attack your organs, or maybe even the baby."

_And the results could be devastating_, Troy's mind provided the unspoken words. He squeezed Gabriella's hand.

"How are you going to do surgery if you can't give her anesthetic?" he asked.

"I talked to the anesthesiologist a little while ago, and we think that it would be considerably less risky to use sedation rather than general anesthesia."

"What's the difference?" Gabriella asked.

"Sedation is used for minor procedures like arthroscopic surgeries, endoscopies, and removal of wisdom teeth. You won't be fully unconscious like you would be under anesthesia, but that will allow you to recover more quickly."

"That sounds reasonable," Gabriella nodded.

"Hold on," Troy interrupted. "This isn't exactly a 'minor' procedure. Even if you administer local anesthetic at the incision site, once you start cutting into internal tissues, there's a chance that she'll be awake enough to feel it."

"I know," Dr. Grant agreed. "I considered using an epidural, but the risk of an allergic reaction still exists, even with a smaller dose than general anesthesia. I really think this is our best option."

Gabriella frowned. "Wait, does that mean I won't be able to have an epidural when I'm in labor?"

Dr. Grant shook her head. "That's a different situation. If there is any allergic reaction whatsoever, we can take the baby via emergency Cesarean section. Right now, though, we're trying to keep the pregnancy intact. Taking the baby now, more than two months premature, would be our last resort. I don't want to take that risk."

"Neither do I," Troy concurred. "But what are you going to do to keep her comfortable during the procedure?"

"We'll give her sedatives and pain meds through her IV. The anesthesiologist will be there to monitor both her vitals and the baby's. Once she's relaxed, I'll inject local anesthetic into her side and remove the fibroid as quickly as I can."

"Even with a local anesthetic, she could wake up enough to feel what you're doing."

"Which leads me to my next recommendation. Troy, I want you to consider being in the operating room with her." She put up her hand to halt his protest. "Not in an official capacity. You can go in and sit next to her and keep her calm. Talk her through the procedure. Hold her hand."

Gabriella looked at him hopefully. "Please, Troy."

"Honey, I'm not sure you understand everything that's involved. This could be a really uncomfortable procedure for you."

"All the more reason to have you there beside me."

Troy considered that. It would be difficult for him to see her hurting, but if it would make things easier for Gabriella, he couldn't refuse her. He rubbed his palms on the legs of his jeans.

"Okay," he answered resolutely. "If Gabriella okay with it, then I'm in. Let's get this done."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy took his time at the scrub sink, partly to wash away germs and partly to prepare himself for what lay ahead. He'd scrubbed in for numerous surgeries, but this one made him far more nervous than he'd ever been while performing a knee replacement or setting a broken bone. The scrub nurse cleared her throat behind him, and he shut off the water and dried his hands. She helped him into his surgical scrubs and then added his gloves and mask.

"Thanks," he muttered.

He pushed open the door to the operating room and was instantly struck by how strange it was to be there not as a doctor, but as a husband. Gabriella was already there on the table, positioned on her left side. Her hair was gathered up under a surgical cap, and her hand rested protectively on her belly. Drawing a deep breath to fortify himself, he approached her. Her eyes were closed, but when he touched her hand, they slid open.

"Hey," he greeted softly as he sat down beside her.

"Hi," she whispered. Fear was written all over her features, and Troy's resolve threatened to falter.

"Don't worry," he told her. "It'll be okay."

Her eyes glistened. "I'm scared, Troy," she confessed.

He palmed her cheek. "I know, sweetheart. But I'm going to be here with you the whole time. I'm not going to leave you. We'll get through this together."

"But what if something happens to our baby? What if…"

"Gabriella," he interrupted gently. "No 'what ifs,' okay? One step at a time. The baby is healthy and strong, and it'll be all right. I need you to be all right too, so that's what we're focusing on right now."

She nodded silently, and a tear slid down her cheek. Troy used his gloved knuckle to wipe it away, and then bent to kiss her forehead through his mask. He knew that doing the procedure under sedation would be less stressful for the baby, but it would be more difficult for Gabriella. Maybe he should have insisted that they take their chances with general anesthesia. Even as the thought entered his mind, though, he dismissed it. It was too great a risk to take. He just wished there was another option. He let out a sigh. It was his job to keep her calm and still during surgery, and although he projected an air of confidence to her, inside he was trembling.

The door to the operating room opened again, and Dr. Grant came in with the anesthesiologist behind her. She quickly hooked up the fetal monitor while the older man prepped the machines to monitor Gabriella's vital signs. He explained how the sedation would work, and then, with a nod from Dr. Grant, he began to inject the medicine into Gabriella's IV. Troy stroked her cheek as he watched her face begin to relax. Finally her eyes fluttered shut, and he looked up at Dr. Grant. She was watching the fetal monitor, and not long after Gabriella's heart rate slowed, the baby's did as well. Troy knew that it was supposed to happen that way, but he still breathed a sigh of relief when the soft beeps from both monitors leveled off.

Dr. Grant looked up and saw him watching her. "The baby isn't showing any signs of distress, Troy. Everything's fine so far." She administered the local anesthetic into Gabriella's side and then watched the clock, allowing sufficient time for the anesthesia to work.

"If she starts to regain consciousness, she may not be able to articulate what she's feeling," Dr. Grant reminded Troy. "Just do your best to keep her calm."

He nodded, and she picked up her scalpel. She had to make three incisions, one to insert the camera so she could see the internal cavity and two for the tools she'd use to remove the fibroid. Once she inserted and positioned the camera, Troy glanced at the video screen and instantly wished he hadn't. The stalk of the fibroid was twisted, intertwined with Gabriella's ovary and fallopian tube.

"C-can you get it out without removing… I mean, is she going to lose her ovary?" he stammered.

"I don't think so," Dr. Grant answered briskly. She turned to the female resident who was assisting her and quietly began to explain the procedure as she went. Troy held Gabriella's hand and focused his attention on her face, watching for signs of movement.

"We need to drain the fluid from the fibroid before we start extricating it," Dr. Grant said, though Troy was only half listening. He heard the clink of surgical instruments on the tray, the surgeons' movements, the steady beeps of the monitors. He was surprised when he glanced down and saw Gabriella looking up at him. Her eyes were not quite focused, and she didn't say anything. She just stared.

"It's okay, baby," Troy murmured. "I'm right here. Everything's fine. Close your eyes and rest."

She didn't react or even acknowledge that she'd heard him, but after a few moments, her eyes closed. He released the breath he'd been holding and took her hand between both of his.

"Suction," Dr. Grant ordered. The machine filled the quiet room with loud, gurgling sounds. Gabriella reacted with a flinch, but her eyes remained shut.

"Clamp it… there," the doctor instructed her resident. "Okay, we're going to start removing it one section at a time. Keep the suction close so I don't nick the ovary."

The two women watched the monitor closely, working slowly and carefully through the small incisions. Suddenly the beeping of Gabriella's monitor quickened, and her eyes flew open. Fear, pain, and confusion radiated from her. Her lips moved as if she was trying to say something, but no sound came out. Troy didn't need words to understand. He could see the pain in her eyes.

"Shh, it's all right," he soothed. "It'll be over soon. Squeeze my hand."

Her fingers twitched against his palm. She tried again to speak, but only managed a low moan. Silent tears spilled from her eyes. It broke Troy's heart.

"Increase the sedative," Dr. Grant barked. "I need her to be still!"

Only then did Troy notice Gabriella's trembling, and he lowered his face directly in front of hers. "Gabriella, look at me. Relax. Don't fight it. I know it hurts, but it'll be over in a few minutes. Stay calm, sweetie."

Her lips kept moving, and he realized that she was repeating the same word again and again. _Baby._

"The baby's fine," he told her. "I'm watching the fetal monitor, and it's doing just fine. You don't have to worry. Just close your eyes and go back to sleep. You're doing great, babe. I'm so proud of you."

Troy couldn't be sure whether it was his soothing words or the extra sedative from the anesthesiologist, but she finally stilled and closed her eyes. He carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks and then sat back in his chair, emotionally spent. Seeing Gabriella hurting and not being able to do anything to help made him feel completely impotent. Movement from the viewing gallery above caught his attention, and he looked up, surprised to see Mark sitting there anxiously. Mark pressed his fist to his chest in a sign of support and solidarity, and Troy nodded in acknowledgment. Somehow, having his best friend there comforted him.

He drew a fortifying breath and returned his attention to Gabriella. _I can do this,_ he told himself. He had to. She needed him. Patients often didn't remember anything about their surgical experience once they came out of sedation. He hoped the medicine would erase Gabriella's memory of this frightening ordeal. He wanted that for her, because he knew that he would never, ever forget.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella came awake slowly, gaining her senses one at a time. She heard the soft beeps of machines around her. She felt the coolness of the air in the room. She frowned at the dryness of her throat. And as her mind began to emerge from the fogginess of sedation, she became aware of the dull ache in her right side. Unsure whether to continue waking or allow herself to slip back into unconsciousness, she opened her eyes to see where she was. She didn't recognize the room, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that Troy was there. She reached out her hand and he looked up, his face lighting with a bright smile.

He leaned forward and squeezed her hand. "Hey, sleepyhead."

"Can I have some water?"

He stood and cupped the back of her head to help her lean forward and drink. After a few swallows, she released the straw and laid back.

"Thanks," she said softly. "Is the baby okay?"

"The baby's fine, and the fibroid is gone," he answered, taking her hand. "You were great in there, honey."

She pressed her other hand into her side.

"Are you in pain?"

"It's not too bad."

"I'm glad." He glanced at the wall clock. "Dr. Grant said she'd be in to check on you in about 45 minutes, so why don't you close your eyes and rest until then?"

She nodded and closed her eyes, keeping hold of his hand. His words felt familiar, as if he'd said them to her recently, but she didn't remember when. Had he said that to her before the anesthesiologist put her to sleep? She didn't think so. She remembered watching his eyes in the operating room. His hair had been tucked under a surgical cap, and most of his face covered by a surgical mask, so his blue eyes had looked vivid and bright. She also remembered his soothing voice and gentle touch. Her lips curved into a smile. He was always there when she needed him. With that comforting thought in mind, she drifted easily back to sleep.

...~«ώ»~...

"How are you doing?" Dr. Grant asked when she came in and saw that Gabriella was awake.

"Pretty good," Gabriella answered. "I'm still a little groggy."

"That's normal. How's your pain?"

"It's hurting more now than when I first woke up."

Dr. Grant nodded and scribbled a few notes. "I'll write an order for pain meds. Troy probably already filled you in, but we got the fibroid out with no problems. It was tangled up with your ovary and fallopian tube, but I'm pleased to report that they suffered no damage whatsoever." She leaned in conspiratorially. "Your husband watched me like a hawk in there."

Gabriella glanced at Troy, and he winked. "It was nice to have him there, even though it wasn't really necessary since I slept through the whole thing."

Dr. Grant tipped her head toward Troy, but he hastily changed the subject.

"She said she hasn't felt the baby move since she woke up."

"The sedation we gave to Gabriella also sedated the baby," Dr. Grant explained, looking over at the fetal monitor and then back to her patient. "Its heart rate is back to normal, but it's probably feeling just as groggy as you are. It could take up to twelve hours for it to resume normal movements. If you haven't felt anything by morning, then definitely give me a call."

It took a few moments for Gabriella to interpret the doctor's unspoken message. "Wait, you're sending me home? Really?"

Dr. Grant smiled. "Really. The baby is doing fine, and I think you'll sleep better in your own bed. And it doesn't hurt that you happen to live with a doctor."

"Good! I have so much work to catch up on with final exams coming up…"

"Not so fast." Dr. Grant looked at her sternly. "I've taken care of the immediate problem, the fibroid, but I still have some concerns. Your blood pressure, for one, plus the swelling and headaches."

Gabriella glared in Troy's direction, knowing he'd told the doctor about her symptoms.

"There could be a number of explanations, but I'm erring on the side of caution. Those symptoms _could _be early signs of preeclampsia. Your urine tested negative for protein, which is the primary indicator, but I don't want to take chances. I want you on bed rest for a week. We'll set up an appointment with you next Monday so we can do a recheck."

"If I tested negative for preeclampsia, why do I need to be on bed rest?" Gabriella protested.

"You don't have preeclampsia right now, but that doesn't mean it can't develop later," Dr. Grant explained. "The other symptoms need to be managed to prevent that from happening."

"Okay, so I'll sit during my lectures at school, and I'll put my feet up and relax as soon as I get home."

"Forget school," Troy interrupted. "This is not up for discussion. We're talking about your health here."

"Troy's right. When I say bed rest, I mean that you should be in bed or on the couch with your feet up at all times, except to go to the bathroom."

"I can't do that for an entire week!"

Dr. Grant crossed her arms. "Gabriella, if you develop preeclampsia, you'll be off your feet for the next two _months._"

Gabriella's jaw dropped open, and Dr. Grant's face softened. "Hopefully it won't come down to that. If we can get your swelling and blood pressure down, then that should prevent it from progressing any further."

Troy moved to sit on the edge of the bed and put his arm around her waist. "It'll take some adjustments, sweetie, but we'll get through it. We'll do whatever it takes to keep you healthy."

She wasn't convinced, but she realized that she didn't really have a choice. Tears burned the backs of her eyes, but she fought them back, refusing to let them fall. With a sigh, she looked up at Dr. Grant.

"Fine. How soon do I get to go home?"

"I'll write up the paperwork now, and you'll be on your way in less than an hour." She patted Gabriella's leg. "Hang in there, okay?"

"We will," Troy answered.

_Easy for him to say, _she thought crossly.

Dr. Grant waved as she left, and Troy stood. "I need to go talk to Dr. Gould about my schedule this week. I'll be back in a few minutes."

He dropped a quick kiss on her head and disappeared. Gabriella laid her head back on the pillow and allowed herself a few minutes to wallow in self-pity. Her sulking was cut short when Kelly poked her head in.

"Hey, are you up for visitors?" she asked.

Gabriella shrugged one shoulder. "I guess so."

Kelly came in, wearing her usual pink scrubs, and sat on the foot of the bed. Gabriella forgot her own worries when she saw the ugly bruise that covered Kelly's eye and cheek.

"Wow, that looks terrible," she blurted out. Realizing how rude that sounded, she hastily added, "Does it hurt?"

"Yeah, some," Kelly answered. "Not as bad as it did yesterday. Mark was in full protective husband mode, checking me every few hours for signs of concussion, asking what my pain level was, insisting that I rest and take it easy."

"Welcome to my world," Gabriella muttered. "Troy is permanently stuck in protective husband mode."

"Frankly, I like it," Kelly answered. "I know that Mark loves me, but having him take care of me like that just took it to another level. It was really sweet."

"Trust me, after awhile it gets old."

Kelly frowned. "Gabi, what's wrong? I've never heard you complain about Troy like that."

"He told Dr. Grant about my blood pressure and swelling, and she put me on bed rest for a week!"

"Did she test your urine? Because those could be signs of…"

"Preeclampsia," Gabriella interrupted. "I know. I tested negative, but she put me on bed rest anyway. If Troy would've just butted out…"

Kelly crossed her arms. "Hold on there, Gabi. Troy is just trying to make sure nothing goes wrong with you or the baby. You can't blame him for that. Besides, Dr. Grant has been practicing medicine for a long time. I doubt that she would order bed rest unless she felt that it was necessary."

"Yeah, but maybe she wouldn't have thought it was necessary if Troy hadn't made such a big deal about it."

"Troy has been worried about you," Kelly argued. "What kind of doctor would he be if he ignored symptoms that could indicate possible complications? What if he didn't speak up and something happened to you or the baby? You know he'd never forgive himself."

"He's a doctor, but I'm his _wife, _not his patient!"

"You're right. He loves you far more than any of his patients, and he feels responsible for your health and well-being. Not a lot of husbands could have gone in that operating room like he did this morning."

"What's the big deal? He's in operating rooms every day. He didn't even have to do anything—I slept through the whole procedure!"

Kelly gave her friend an odd look. "Is that what he told you?"

"No, but I don't remember anything except going to sleep in the operating room and then waking up in recovery."

Kelly took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, and then touched Gabriella's leg. "I don't know if I should tell you this, but… Mark sat in the gallery and watched your surgery. You woke up four or five times during the procedure. He said you were in a great deal of pain, and Troy kept you calm and talked you through it. It was really hard on him, Gabi, seeing you suffer like that. So yeah, maybe he's a little overprotective sometimes, but give the man a break. He was there for you when you needed him most."

Gabriella stared at her friend, flabbergasted. "I had no idea," she finally confessed quietly.

"He's a great guy," Kelly told her gently. "And he's _your _guy. Count your blessings, not your burdens, hon."

"Thank you, Kel. I needed that." She reached out, and Kelly moved forward to hug her. "And just so you know, _you're _one of my blessings too."

Troy walked in then, and the two women released one another and wiped their eyes.

"I'd better get back to work," Kelly announced. "Gabi, take care of yourself, and let me know if there's anything I can do to help. Troy, that goes for you too."

"Yes, ma'am," Troy answered. He gave her a quick hug before she ducked out of the room, and then he returned his attention to his wife. "Are you okay? Is there anything you need?"

"Yes." Gabriella gestured for him to come closer, and he sat down on the bed. She took one of his hands and touched his face. "I need to tell you thanks. You're wonderful, and I don't tell you that often enough. I love you, Troy. More than anything."

The worried expression on his face softened, and he leaned in to give her a lingering kiss. "I love you too, sweetheart." A nurse came in pushing a wheelchair, with Gabriella's discharge papers tucked under her arm. Troy kissed his wife once more. "Are you ready, babe? Let's go home."


	55. Bed Rest Blues

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 55—Bed Rest Blues**

_A/N: My immense gratitude to my friend Robin for her help on this chapter. Every time I lost my way, she was there to steer me back on course, and I don't think I would have ever finished it without her support. This chapter is dedicated to Ruby and the family and friends she left behind._

* * *

Troy sat on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table and his laptop open on his lap. The television was on, but he wasn't really watching it. He'd turned it on for background noise since Gabriella had fallen asleep shortly after dinner. Maybe it was a good thing, he mused, that she was still recovering from her surgery the previous day. Her need for extra sleep made it easier for her to adhere to Dr. Grant's strict order for bed rest. Still, Troy missed the companionship they usually shared every evening after work. Sometimes they took a walk around the neighborhood, worked on a project together, or simply curled up on the couch to watch a movie.

Movement in the doorway caught his eye, and he looked up as Gabriella shuffled into the room.

"Hey, hon. Do you need something?" he asked solicitously.

She nodded. "A change of scenery and some company."

He smiled and patted the couch beside him. "I have just the place for you." He leaned forward to set his laptop on the table and watched her circle the couch and sit wearily, tucking her feet under her. She looked adorably rumpled in track pants and his Berkeley sweatshirt. She leaned into him, her soft curves molding against his body, and he shifted to support her weight more fully. He moved her hair aside to nuzzle her neck, and his smile widened when she let out a contented sigh.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Okay," she replied. "Just… kind of out of it."

"That's normal with the medication you're on," he assured her. "We'll start reducing the dosage tomorrow, and that should help." He slipped his hand under the hem of her sweatshirt to rub her belly. "How's the little one doing?"

She moved his hand lower so he could feel the baby's movement. "It's been moving a lot today. It even woke me up a couple times earlier."

"It must be making up for sleeping all day yesterday." He curved his palm along the bottom of her abdomen. "I'm sure there are times when you wish you could make it stop for a little while, but for me, this never gets old, feeling it moving around inside you."

Gabriella covered his hand with hers. "I can't complain. As long as it's moving, I know that it's okay." She gestured towards his laptop. "What are you working on?"

"I was reading about the UCS football team's post-season," he answered. "Matt e-mailed me about the new team physician. He apparently became fast friends with Coach Sterling, and Matt is concerned that he's putting players back in before they're ready."

She turned to look up at him. "You don't work there anymore, Troy. Why does it matter?"

"I still care about the players and don't want to see them get hurt. The ortho clinic is full of kids who played through injuries because they didn't want to let their team down."

"And you never did anything like that, right?" she teased.

"Maybe once or twice," he admitted. "But it wasn't so much for the team. It was for a pretty girl in the bleachers that I was trying to impress." He kissed her neck. "Apparently it worked."

"Apparently so." She reached over to pick up the remote control. "Is there anything good on TV tonight?"

"I wasn't really watching it. If there's something you'd like to watch, go ahead."

She flipped through the channels but didn't find anything that piqued her interest. "How about a movie?"

"Depends," Troy answered. "Are you going to make me sit through another chick flick?"

"Hey, those chick flicks usually turn out well for you," she pointed out coyly. They often missed the endings of romantic movies when their kissing and fondling grew heated and they retired to the bedroom for their own romantic liaison.

"Yeah, but that's not really an option while you're on bed rest," he pointed out.

"Then we might actually make it to the end of the movie."

"Okay, you win," he chuckled, shifting her so that he could stand up. "I'll go make some popcorn while you decide which movie you want to watch."

She clapped her hands excitedly, and he couldn't help but smile as he made his way to the kitchen. He pulled out a package of microwave popcorn and poured drinks for both of them while the microwave hummed. When the timer dinged, he removed the bag, shook it, and poured the steaming popcorn into a bowl. Then, balancing the bowl in the crook of his elbow, he picked up the drinks and headed back to the living room. He'd hoped to reclaim his spot on the couch, but Gabriella had spread out so that she was lying flat with her arms wrapped around the throw pillow he'd been leaning on. He moved closer and grinned, not all that surprised to see that she was already fast asleep.

He laughed to himself. "Looks like I get to pick the movie after all."

...~«ώ»~...

By Thursday, Gabriella was feeling better, and was growing increasingly frustrated that she was confined to bed. On Friday morning, she slowly came awake to the feel of familiar solidness and warmth surrounding her. She was nestled into Troy's sleeping form, with her cheek pressed against his chest and her legs tangled with his. She breathed in the manly scent that was uniquely his and smiled. He always smelled so good. His hand was curved around her bottom, and she wiggled into it, enjoying the way his hand flexed possessively. Her fingers skimmed over the ridges of his chest and dipped lower, seeming to act of their own volition. Her lips formed a kiss against his skin as she palmed him through his boxers and stroked him slowly. He quickly hardened in her hand, and she continued to stroke and tease, waiting for him to awaken. A soft moan rumbled low in his chest, and Gabriella lifted her head to watch a smile spread across his face.

"Mm, baby, don't stop."

She laughed softly, empowered by his desire. Stretching up, she kissed the underside of his chin and nipped at the stubble on his jaw. In an instant his mouth claimed hers, and heat flared between them. His fingertips dug into the flesh of her backside, pulling her into closer contact. She'd planned to simply give him some morning pleasure, but her intentions were swept away in the raging inferno that consumed her. All she wanted was him inside her. He apparently wanted the same thing. A breathless squeak escaped her lips when he suddenly rolled them both until she was on her back and he was on top of her. His hips thrust insistently against hers as he raised her hands above her head and held her there. She closed her eyes, waiting eagerly for the blissful joining of their bodies.

"Please, Troy," she begged.

And then… he stopped. His muscles tensed, and he lifted off of her and moved away. Confused, she opened her eyes to see him lying on his back with his arm draped over his eyes.

"Troy?" She touched his stomach, and his muscles twitched under her hand.

"Don't."

"What happened?"

"Just give me a minute."

"I was trying to give you more than that," she teased, dipping her fingers under his waistband.

"Gabriella." He caught her wrist to halt her ministrations. "Please stop."

The fire that had raged between them was doused by his icy tone, and Gabriella frowned.

"Troy, I don't understand… What's going on?"

He lifted his arm to look at her as if she was crazy. "Dr. Grant said we shouldn't have sex while you're on bed rest. Why would you start something you can't finish?"

"I'm on restriction, but there's no reason I can't give you a nice morning wake-up call," she argued.

"I wish it could be as simple as that," he sighed. "It's too easy for us to get carried away. Do you realize how close we just were to crossing the line?"

"Not close enough," she muttered.

"Damn it, Gabriella, I'm serious," he scowled. "We can't take chances like that."

"Well, excuse me for trying to satisfy my husband's needs." She touched his arm, and her expression softened. "Troy, you've taken such good care of me this week, I just wanted to do something nice for you. I didn't expect anything in return."

She tried to move closer to him, but he suddenly threw back the covers and stood.

"I don't need my seven-months-pregnant wife—who's on bed rest—getting me off because of some sense of payback or obligation. From now on, just… just… keep your hands to yourself!"

Troy regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth, and the shock and hurt that flickered across her face was almost too much to bear. He stood there, frozen in place, trying to figure out how to fix it. She made the first move, climbing out of bed and heading to the spare bathroom.

"Honey, I'm sorry," he called after her. "I didn't mean that the way it came out…"

Her answer came with the slam of the bathroom door. Frustrated, he turned on his heel and went to the master bathroom for a very, very cold shower.

By the time he emerged from the bathroom, Gabriella was back in bed and appeared to be asleep. He considered waking her to apologize, but decided that they could both use some time to cool off. He quickly dressed for work, made breakfast and lunch for both of them, and slipped out the front door.

...~«ώ»~...

All day, Troy felt like a jerk for so harshly rejecting Gabriella's advances. They'd begun many mornings that way, but this morning was different. He'd been in the midst of an extremely erotic dream about her, and when he'd awakened to find that the sensations he was feeling were very real, something inside him had snapped. Instead of lying there and enjoying the pleasure she was offering, he'd pounced, so focused on his primal needs that for a few moments, he'd forgotten about Gabriella's restriction. He'd been on top of her—a no-no during her pregnancy—about to pull her panties off and bury himself inside her. She'd been right there with him, turned on and ready to shrug off the doctor's orders and make love with him. But then he'd regained his senses and pulled away, leaving both of them frustrated and confused. He didn't remember exactly what he'd said after that—most of his blood supply had left his brain and moved south at that point—but he couldn't forget the look of hurt on Gabriella's face.

He'd read about pregnant women's body insecurities, and also about how some men were turned off by their partners' bodies in the third trimester, but he was the complete opposite. He loved seeing her body change and grow to accommodate his child inside her. She had no idea how sexy she was at this point in her pregnancy, with her body full and lush, her breasts larger, her core always wet and ready. But he hadn't told her any of those things that morning. He'd told her to keep her hands off, which was actually the _last _thing he wanted. He wanted her all the time, and he needed to make sure that she knew that.

Troy's beeper chirped on his hip, and he forced his mind to focus on his work. There was no reason why his patients should suffer because of his rough morning. So he pushed it out of his mind. When he got home, though, he promised himself that he'd find a way to make it up to Gabriella.

...~«ώ»~...

On the way home that evening, Troy picked up a bouquet of flowers and a couple of take-out dinners from Ruby's, one of Gabriella's favorite restaurants. When he got home, he was puzzled to see a strange car in the driveway. There was a Hastings parking tag on the back bumper, so Troy guessed that one of Gabriella's colleagues had stopped by to visit. He quickly gathered his belongings, jogged up the porch steps, and unlocked the front door. When the door swung open and he stepped inside, he stopped short, and his eyes narrowed at the scene before him. Gabriella was spread out on the couch with her computer open on her lap, just as she'd been for the past several days when he'd returned home. But this time, there was a young man in a chair pulled up beside her, his arm draped on the arm of the couch behind her as he leaned forward to look at the computer screen. _Nick. _

"Hi, Troy." Gabriella's voice broke the awkward silence. "How was work today?"

"Fine." He bent over the back of the couch to give her a quick kiss, and then leveled a hard stare at Nick.

The younger man shifted uncomfortably. "Hi, Dr. Bolton. We were just, uh, going over some notes…"

"Nick is holding extra study sessions this weekend to help my classes prepare for their final exam," Gabriella explained before turning back to Nick. "I hope they realize how lucky they are to have such a dedicated grad student. I know _I_ do."

He blushed at the compliment. "I've learned so much from you this semester." He looked over at Troy. "She's an incredibly smart woman."

"I know," Troy replied icily. "I'm married to her." He held up the take-out bag in his hand. "Sorry, Nick, I'd invite you to stay for dinner, but I only brought home enough food for two."

"It's okay, I was about to leave anyway," Nick answered. "She's getting tired. A few minutes ago she dozed off while I was talking."

"I did not!" Gabriella protested lightly.

"Pregnant women tend to get tired more quickly," Troy told him pointedly. "Especially if they work too hard when they're supposed to be on bed rest."

"Don't worry, I made sure she kept her feet up and didn't overdo it."

"Oh, I didn't realize you had a medical degree," Troy shot back.

"Troy." The warning in Gabriella's tone was clear.

Nick hurriedly stood and began gathering his things. "I'll let you know how the study sessions go."

"Good," she replied. "I'll see you at the meeting next Tuesday."

"_If _you get cleared to go back to work," Troy interjected.

Gabriella grimaced. "Surely I will. I have final exams to give next week."

"I'll keep my fingers crossed," Nick told her. "It's not the same there without you."

Troy reached over and opened the front door. "See you later, Nick. Thanks for stopping by."

Nick took the not-so-subtle hint and moved towards the door. With one final wave to Gabriella, he stepped through the doorway onto the porch, and a moment later, the door slammed shut behind him.

When Troy turned back to look at Gabriella, she was glaring at him. "That was rude."

"Well, forgive me for not being thrilled to come home and find my wife entertaining another man."

Her frown deepened. "What's that supposed to mean? He's my graduate student, Troy."

"And most graduate students don't hang out at their professors' homes when no one else is around."

"They do when the professor calls and _asks _them to come," she responded defiantly. "He's helping _my_ students prepare for a final exam that _I _wrote, and I wanted to make sure he understood all the notes I gave him."

"You couldn't do that over the phone?" he pressed.

"What's your problem, Troy? Dr. Lentz has been here plenty of times to go over lesson plans or discuss research, and you've never had a problem with that."

"Dr. Lentz is in his sixties! And he doesn't look at you the way Nick does."

"Oh? How does Nick look at me?"

"Come on, Gabriella. Don't act like you've never noticed the way he stares at you. It's like he's a dying man and you're his last meal."

"You're being ridiculous," she shot back. "He doesn't think of me that way. I'm his mentor—that's _all._"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Why on earth would he be attracted to a married woman who's seven months pregnant and on bed rest?" She looked at him pointedly. "You certainly made it clear this morning that you aren't."

"Whoa, I never said that," he argued. "I tried to explain—that wasn't what I meant. It came out wrong."

She pushed up off the couch and stood with her hands on her hips.

"Well, then, what exactly _did_ you mean?"

Troy sighed. How had such a little thing gotten blown so out of proportion? She circled the couch, and he put his hand on her arm.

"Look, can we start from the beginning? I brought flowers and dinner from Ruby's for you. Let's eat, and then we can talk."

She looked up at him and shook her head sadly. "My head hurts, and I'm not hungry. I'm going to go lie down for awhile."

Troy opened his mouth to argue, but then thought better of it. "Can I get you anything? Pain pill? A glass of water?"

"Sure," she answered.

"I'll save your dinner for you and heat it up when you're feeling better."

"Thanks, Troy."

He reluctantly released her arm, and without another word, they went their separate ways.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy and Mark both had to work the next day, Saturday. Kelly was off, and Troy had hoped that she could spend some time with Gabriella, but she'd already committed to a day of Christmas shopping with her brother's wife. Gabriella's headache had lasted throughout the previous evening, preventing the talk they'd planned, so for the second day in a row, Troy's mood was dour. When Mark sat down at the lunch table, his friend barely acknowledged him.

"Okay, Bolton, what's up with this mopey crap?" He tilted his head. "There's nothing wrong with Gabi, is there?"

"She's fine," Troy answered.

"So what's the problem?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Mark shrugged. "Suit yourself." He took a bite of his lunch. "Funny thing happened in the ER this morning…"

"You know what the problem is?" Troy interrupted. "We would've had the whole misunderstanding settled last night if it hadn't been for that… that punk."

"Okay, I guess we're talking about it now. Why don't you start from the beginning."

Troy ran his hand through his hair. "Gabriella and I had a little tiff yesterday morning. No big deal, just a misunderstanding. So last night, I bring her flowers and a nice dinner, and who do I find in my house? Nick. Her slimeball graduate assistant."

"What was he doing there?"

"Going over notes for a study session. He's covering her classes while she's unable to work."

Mark leaned back in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. "So he's helping Gabi… And how exactly does that make him a slimeball?"

"He just… Who does he think he is, coming to my house and hanging out with my wife? And you should've heard him! 'I made sure she didn't overdo it.' As if he's responsible for taking care of her. And he was gushing about how smart she is…"

"She _is _smart," Mark inserted.

"Whose side are you on?" Troy demanded.

"Depends. Did he try to put the moves on Gabi?"

"No, but the way he stares at her, like… like he thinks the sun rises and sets with her. It's disgusting, and she acts like she doesn't even notice it."

Mark leaned forward. "Dude, you don't actually think there's something going on, do you? I mean, I don't know this kid, but I certainly know Gabi, and she would never do something like that."

"There's nothing going on," Troy confirmed. "It just… pisses me off, seeing the way he fawns over her."

"Yeah, because you _never_ fawn over her," Mark scoffed sarcastically.

"That's different. She's had a rough pregnancy, and I have to keep an eye on her blood pressure, make sure she eats and takes her prenatal vitamins…"

Mark looked at his friend thoughtfully. "Maybe that's part of the problem."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Look, man, you've been in hyper-overprotective-husband-father-to-be mode for months. She's not a china doll. She's a grown-up who's capable of taking care of herself. The problems she's had with her pregnancy have nothing to do with bad habits or neglect. Sometimes things just happen."

"I know," Troy argued. "That's why I worry so much about her. This pregnancy—our baby—means a lot to both of us."

"I get that, but what I'm trying to say is, there's a lot more to Gabriella than her pregnancy. She's a wife, a daughter, a professor, a friend, a mentor. Maybe instead of focusing all your energy on pregnant Gabriella all the time, you should get reacquainted with all the _other_ things you love about her."

Troy slouched back in his seat. As much as he hated to admit it, Mark was right. Gabriella was sweet, sexy, smart, passionate, kindhearted, and so much more… he'd fallen in love with those attributes long before they'd even discussed marriage or babies.

He nodded as ideas began to form in his head, and then looked sideways at his friend. _Damn_, had Mark Davis really just given him real relationship advice?

Mark seemed to reach the same realization and crossed his arms smugly. "Oh yeah, deal with it, Bolton. I'm the new relationship expert. You can call me Dr. Love."

Troy couldn't help but laugh. "I think I'll leave that nickname for Kelly to use."

Mark's pager vibrated on the table, and he picked it up to read the message. "Dr. Love is needed in the ER," he announced as he stood.

"Hey," Troy called as his friend departed. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Mark answered with a grin. "I'll send you my bill."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella was napping when Troy got home from work, allowing him time to carry out his plan before she awoke. When everything was ready, he returned to the bedroom and gently lowered himself onto the bed next to her. She was lying on her side with her arms around his pillow and her nose buried in its softness. She looked adorable, and he couldn't help himself—he reached out and skimmed his fingertip along her cheek, brushing away a curl. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she looked up at him with a mixture of trepidation and confusion.

"Hi," he smiled.

"What time is it?"

"Almost six. How are you feeling?"

She rubbed her eyes and stretched. "Pretty good. I graded reports all afternoon, and then decided to take a nap. I meant to be awake by the time you got home."

"It's okay, sweetie. Dr. Grant said you should sleep when you're tired. I'm glad you're feeling better."

Gabriella nodded and sat up, allowing Troy to rearrange the pillows so that she could lean against headboard. The insecurity he'd seen in her eyes the night before was still there, and he reached for her hand and took a deep breath.

"Honey, there are a couple things we need to talk about," he began. "First of all, I need you to understand that when I stopped you yesterday morning, it wasn't because I'm not attracted to you. Quite the contrary. When I woke up and you were touching me, it was amazing, but it almost went too far, and that's why I stopped. Not because I didn't want to make love to you. Everything about you, even now… _especially _now… is sexy and fascinating and adventurous, and I love that you want me every bit as much as I want you. But we have to be careful and follow Dr. Grant's instructions, and unfortunately that means, at least for two more days, no sex."

"I'm sorry, Troy. I really didn't mean for it to get out of hand. I just wanted to give you pleasure because I love you, not because I felt obligated to."

"I know. And I'm sorry for getting upset with you. I was frustrated, and I didn't handle it very well." He bit his bottom lip. "Just like I didn't handle it well when Nick was here."

"I should've told you that he was coming over, but after our rough morning, it didn't even cross my mind." She leaned forward with an earnest gaze. "Troy, I am not attracted to Nick. He is my graduate assistant, and that's _all. _He's never said or done anything to imply that he has any personal interest in me. Whether he looks at me a certain way or not, it doesn't matter. The only man whose eye I want to catch is yours. I love you."

He moved closer and gathered her in his arms. "I love you too, baby. I never doubted you, I just didn't like the feeling that he was moving in on my territory. He's done a lot to help you this semester, and I'm grateful for that."

"I'm glad," she murmured into his chest.

"There's one more thing," he added, pulling back so he could look at her. "I was wrong the other day when I said that you're the most beautiful pregnant woman in the world." Insecurity registered on her face again, and her eyes darted away. He tipped her chin up with his finger to bring her gaze back to his. "What I _should've _said is that you're the most beautiful woman in the world, and your pregnancy makes you even more beautiful."

For a moment she looked stunned, and then she wrapped her arms around his neck in an embrace.

"Thank you, Troy. You have no idea how much that means to me."

"You'll never believe this, but _Mark, _of all people, pointed out to me that I've been so focused on the pregnancy that I've neglected the woman I married."

She looked at him strangely. "Mark? Mark _Davis _said that?" He nodded, and a slow smile spread across her face. "I've always known Kelly was good for him, but wow, that's nothing short of miraculous!"

He chuckled. "The love of a good woman can bring a man to his knees. I've learned that firsthand." Gabriella smiled and tried to lean back into him, but he held her at arms' length. "Don't get too comfortable, sweetheart. I have a surprise for you. We're going on a date."

She frowned. "How are we going on a date when I'm stuck on bed rest? Where are we going?"

Troy scooted to the edge of the bed and stood. "Oh, not too far. Just to Venice."

"Venice, California? That's almost 400 miles away! Are you crazy?"

"Crazy about _you_," he grinned. "And no, not Venice, California… Venice, Italy! Don't worry, though. You won't need your passport, and I promise that you won't get airsick."

He lifted her out of bed and carried her to the living room. She sucked in a breath at the sight before her. He'd moved the furniture out of the way, spread a blanket and piled pillows on the floor, and lit candles around the room. There was soft music playing, and in the center of the blanket was a picnic basket with a pizza box on top.

"Margherita pizza?" she asked excitedly.

"That's right." He sat her down on the pillows and then settled beside her. He opened the basket and began pulling out wrapped food items. "But first we have some Italian bread and olive oil, followed by a nice Caesar salad. And of course, _gelato_ for dessert."

"This is wonderful, Troy! I can't even remember the last time we had an indoor picnic!"

"Then it's been too long." He tore off thick chunks of bread for each of them and set the olive oil between them.

She released a soft moan. "Mmm, this is _so _good!"

He chuckled. "I wish I could take credit for making it, but I stopped at that new Italian _trattoria _near the hospital on the way home."

"Good choice," she nodded. "What made you decide on Venice?"

He pulled lids off the salad bowls and unwrapped forks. "Remember, back in college, when we couldn't always afford to go on real dates? We used to talk about the places we'd like to travel to someday, and Italy was on both of our lists."

"I can't believe you remembered that." She leaned back on the pillows and smiled at the memory. "We had several duplicates, I think." Her eyebrows creased and she shuddered. "I'm glad you didn't choose Mexico. My stomach still can't handle that stuff."

"I know," he nodded. "And I refrained from a night of Japanese cuisine until you're allowed to eat sushi again."

They both ate their salads and bread, and then Troy pulled out a wine bottle and two glasses.

"Would you like some _vino, _my dear?" Gabriella looked at him skeptically, and he chuckled. "Okay, it's not really wine. It's sparkling grape juice."

"In that case, I'd love some. And a slice of that pizza."

With a flourish, he poured her drink and then offered the open pizza box to her. She took a big slice and bit into it enthusiastically, nodding her approval.

"Delicious."

"The only thing we're missing is the proper environment." Troy turned on the television, and the screen filled with a colorful outdoor scene. The person behind the camera, most likely a tourist, panned around to show the narrow cobblestone streets of Venice. He crossed a footbridge over a small canal and stepped into a waiting gondola, and the boat moved away from its moor and into the canal lane.

Troy grabbed a piece of pizza, leaned back on the pillows, and slid his arm around Gabriella. She snuggled into him, and together they ate and watched as the gondola maneuvered deftly through the narrow canals. Suddenly, the canal opened into a huge waterway that teemed with activity and boat traffic.

"The Grand Canal," she murmured. "It's beautiful!"

"Someday, we'll go there for real," he promised. "Maybe on our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary." He laid his hand on her belly. "Our oldest will be in college by then, but the younger ones… well, maybe they can stay with Uncle Mark and Aunt Kelly while we're gone."

She looked up at him, clearly touched. "You're already planning our twenty-fifth anniversary celebration? Making travel plans? Thinking about where our kids will stay?"

He gave her a soft smile. "Of course. I'd tell you where we're going for our fiftieth anniversary, but I don't want to ruin the surprise."

"That may be one of the sweetest things you've ever said to me," she murmured. "It's… wonderful… that you're making plans for our life together. Not just next month or next year, but way into the future. We have our whole life together to look forward to."

"Why do you sound so surprised?" he teased gently. "Are you planning to cut me loose before then?"

"No!" She shook her head vigorously. "Never!"

"Well then, it's a date. We'll ride a gondola in Venice, taste wine in Tuscany, explore ancient ruins in Rome, shop in Milan, and sample every imaginable flavor of _gelato_."

"That sounds perfect."

Gabriella snuggled into him again, and they ate and dreamed as their virtual gondolier sang them a love song. It was, she decided, the very best bed rest she'd ever experienced.


	56. Looking Forward

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 56—Looking Forward**

In the semi-darkness of early morning, Gabriella awoke and turned over to reach for Troy. His side of the bed was empty and cool, and she squinted at the clock on the bedside table. It was only 6:30. Before she could throw back the covers and go looking for him, the bedroom door opened, and Troy crept in quietly. He was dressed in track pants and a sweatshirt, and Gabriella realized that he'd been out running. She heard the rasp of a zipper just before he pulled off his hooded sweatshirt and dropped it on the floor. He went to his closet and turned on the light inside, glancing over his shoulder to make sure it wasn't shining in his wife's eyes. The darkness prevented him from seeing that she was awake, watching him. He toed off his running shoes and pulled his t-shirt over his head, dropping it next to his sweatshirt. The shadows cast by the closet light highlighted the magnificent ridges of muscle across his chest and abdomen, and she stared shamelessly as he decided on what to wear and then disappeared into the bathroom. A minute later, the shower turned on, and she imagined Troy in there, covered with soapy water.

Gabriella rolled onto her back and groaned. She was going back to see Dr. Grant that afternoon, and if the doctor didn't her lift her ban on sexual activities, Gabriella was pretty sure she was going to die. Her hormones were raging, and with a husband who looked as good as Troy did, the inability to be intimate with him was pure torture. And, she admitted to herself, she was anxious to get back to work, even though it would only be four more days until the students finished their finals and left for winter break. Though she'd tried to be a good sport for the past week, she was tired of being confined to bed. She lay there and let her mind wander until the shower turned off and Troy cracked the bathroom door to let out some steam. She heard the swish of water in the sink as he shaved, and shifted onto her side so she could watch him when he reemerged from the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Troy opened the door and came out wearing nothing but black boxer-briefs. Gabriella bit her lip to keep from moaning at the delectable sight and ogled him as he pulled on a pair of dark slacks. He selected a dress shirt and tie and hung them on the closet door while he went to the dresser to get an undershirt. He normally went on rounds at the hospital every Monday morning, so he dressed up more than on days when he went directly into surgery. Gabriella sighed when his muscular back disappeared beneath his undershirt, and he turned to look at her. There was more sunlight by then, and this time he saw that she was awake.

"Good morning," he smiled. "Are you enjoying the view?"

"I enjoyed it more before you covered it up," she pouted.

Troy laughed. "The hospital frowns on residents showing up naked."

"Good, because that view is for my eyes only."

"It sure is," he agreed, kneeling on the bed to kiss her. "I guess I don't have to ask how you're feeling this morning."

"Ready to be off restriction," she answered anyway. "The sooner, the better."

He nodded sympathetically. "I know. I'll be home around 3:30 to pick you up for your appointment."

"Actually… I was thinking that it's silly for you to drive home to pick me up. I'm not taking pain medicine anymore, so there's no reason why I can't just meet you at the hospital." She gave him her best puppy-dog expression. "Please, Troy?"

He shifted to sit beside her as he considered her idea. "I guess it would be all right if you feel up to it. But no extra stops, okay? I don't want you to overdo it."

Gabriella's eyes darted away. "Well, I was thinking of stopping at school to pick up some stuff I need for tomorrow's meeting…"

"Which you will _only _attend if Dr. Grant clears you to go back to work," he pointed out. "Honey, I know you're anxious to get back to work, but your health comes first."

"I know. But you said yourself that I'm getting better. I have a good feeling about this appointment today."

"You _are _getting better. And friskier." He winked at her. "We'll keep our fingers crossed. How about that?"

"Sounds good," she agreed. He stood up to finish dressing, and she propped herself up to watch.

"Hopefully, by tonight, you won't have to just be a spectator anymore," Troy teased.

"I can't wait," she breathed.

...~«ώ»~...

Dr. Grant made a few notes on her chart and then looked up at the couple in front of her and smiled.

"The baby's doing great, and I'm pleased with your progress, Gabriella. Your surgical site is healing nicely, and the swelling in your feet and hands has gone down a lot. I know you weren't happy about being on bed rest for a week, but it did the trick."

"So I don't have to be on bed rest anymore?" Gabriella asked hopefully. "I can go back to work?"

Dr. Grant considered that. "Ordinarily I'd recommend that you ease back into your routine slowly, working half days, so that your symptoms don't return. But since you only have four days left in the semester, I'll allow you to return to your regular schedule."

Gabriella grinned up at Troy, and he patted her knee encouragingly.

I must caution you, though," Dr. Grant continued. "With the holidays approaching, it's a busy and stressful time of year for everyone, not to mention women in the late stages of pregnancy. Don't overdo it, or you'll end up right back where you started, and we don't want that to happen. Are you planning to do any traveling?"

"My parents are coming to San Francisco to spend Christmas with us," Troy shared.

"And what about your family?" she asked Gabriella.

Gabriella chewed on her bottom lip. "Mom and I haven't really discussed it, but I hope she'll be able to come out here for a few days."

The doctor nodded her approval. "Let them help you with holiday preparations. There's no reason for you to do everything yourself. Have you signed up for a childbirth class yet?"

"Yes," Troy answered. "We start after the first of the year."

"Good." Dr. Grant checked her notes again. "You're at 29 weeks now, so we'll set up your next appointment for after the holidays. Once you're past 32 weeks, I'll see you every two weeks, and then, once we get to February, every week." She stood and squeezed Gabriella's shoulder. "You're in the home stretch now. Hang in there, okay?"

"I will," Gabriella answered. "Thank you."

"If anything comes up, don't hesitate to call me. Otherwise, I'll see you in January. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you," Troy replied. "And thank you for everything."

...~«ώ»~...

On Tuesday afternoon, Gabriella's heels clicked as she made her way through the empty corridor to Dean Heller's office. It was after 5:30, and most students and professors had already left for the day, but Gabriella had stayed to grade case summaries and catch up on paperwork. She was more exhausted than she wanted to admit, and she wished she'd listened to Troy and worn more comfortable shoes. She told herself that as soon as she made a quick stop at Dr. Heller's office, she'd head home and put her feet up. Though she knew that Dr. Grant had sent return-to-work paperwork to the dean's office on her behalf, she wanted to check in with her boss to prove that she was healthy and committed to doing her job.

When Gabriella reached Dr. Heller's office, she opened the door into the reception area and approached the dean's closed office door. She raised her hand to knock, but pulled back when she heard voices inside. She probably should have scheduled an appointment with the secretary, Ingrid, but she hadn't expected the dean to be occupied after regular school hours. She stood there for a few moments, trying to decide what to do. Ingrid had already left for the day, so Gabriella sat down at the receptionist's desk to write her a note. The plush chair felt heavenly behind her achy back, and she kicked her shoes off and sighed blissfully. She allowed herself a minute of relaxation, until the rumble of her stomach reminded her that it was time to go home and make dinner. She leaned forward and reached for the neat stack of sticky notes on the desk.

She stopped when something on the corner of the desk caught her attention. In a desktop file holder, there was a manila folder labeled "Matthews, Sandra." Gabriella bit her bottom lip, trying to figure out why that name seemed so familiar. After a few moments, it came to her. Sandy had been one of Gabriella's classmates in law school. Her curiosity piqued, she reached over to slide the file folder open a few centimeters. Inside was a résumé, and behind that, a job application. Gabriella hesitated, wondering what type of job Sandy had applied for at Hastings. The folder behind Sandy's was labeled "Ritz, Daniel." Gabriella recognized that name as well. Daniel had been one of Dr. Lentz's graduate students during Gabriella's first year of teaching at Hastings. In fact, he'd covered her intro classes when she'd been injured and unable to work. Gabriella slid his folder open to find another résumé and job application. There were several more folders in the file holder, labeled with names Gabriella didn't recognize, and on the corner of the desk, a folder with a sticky note that read, "Tuesday, 6 pm."

There was a burst of laughter from inside Dr. Heller's office, and Gabriella snatched her hand back guiltily. As she did so, her sleeve caught the edge of the folder on the desk and it fell, scattering papers all over the floor. Whispering a curse, Gabriella leaned over to collect the papers. With her head bent close to the office door, she heard Dr. Heller clear her throat.

"We are seeking a candidate to cover a maternity leave, beginning with the new semester in January. The job will be for the duration of the semester, but if the person we hire is a good fit, there's a possibility that the post will become permanent."

Gabriella frowned. There were a couple other professors who were pregnant, but one was due later in the semester, like Gabriella was, and the other wasn't due until May. Which of their positions was Dr. Heller interviewing candidates for? And why had she said the replacement may be permanent? A knot of dread began to fist in Gabriella's stomach as she straightened. She straightened the papers she'd retrieved from the floor and put them back in the file folder. The top paper was a cover letter, and though she knew it was wrong to read it, two words caught her attention. She sucked in a breath and dropped the folder on the desk as if it had burned her. Then she stood on wobbly knees, crumpled the half-written note to Ingrid in her hand, and rushed out of the office. Once she was in the hall, Gabriella forced herself to walk, not run, to get away from the awful truth that she'd discovered in the dean's office. But the words she'd seen in that cover letter were burned into her mind. _Bioscience Law. _Dr. Heller was interviewing candidates for Gabriella's job. She was about to be replaced.

…..~«ώ»~…..

Troy pulled the frying pan off the burner and covered it to keep the pork chops warm. He checked his watch again. He'd cautioned Gabriella to take it easy on her first day back, so he was a bit uneasy that she wasn't home yet. Deciding to call her, he turned to retrieve his cell phone from the counter just as she appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"How was your first day back?" Before he even finished the sentence, he could see that something was wrong. Her eyes were wide, and she stood stiffly. She looked completely shell-shocked, and he moved closer to grasp her upper arms. "Honey, what's wrong?"

She suddenly swayed on her feet, and Troy put his arm around her to support her weight. Her body sagged against him, and he guided her over to sit on one of the kitchen stools. Her face was pale, and he could see her pulse pounding against the skin at the base of her neck. He sat on the stool in front of her and cupped her face.

"Gabriella, talk to me. What's going on?"

"My job… I… Dr. Heller was… interviewing, and I… I heard… There was a file… on the desk… It was about… taking over… my maternity leave…"

Troy struggled to piece together her broken sentences. "Dr. Heller was interviewing someone to cover your maternity leave?"

"Yes, but… she said it was for all semester… and maybe… permanently."

She haltingly explained what she'd seen and heard, and Troy shook his head.

"There's no way. They can't do that. It's illegal! You of all people should know that. The Family Medical Leave Act guarantees that you can't get fired for taking maternity leave."

"I'm not tenured," she replied. "My contract is only good for… one year at a time. The school can… let me go…" She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to block out the tears that suddenly welled up. "I don't want to lose my job."

"You're not going to lose your job," he insisted. "You're good, and they'd be stupid to let you go."

"But I heard them... and saw the letter…"

"Okay, so we'll go down there tomorrow and get some answers."

Her eyes narrowed and sparked with anger. "What am I supposed to say? 'Sorry, Dean, but I was looking through your files and eavesdropping outside your door…'"

Troy took her hands in his. "We'll get this all straightened out. It'll be all right." He slid his finger over the pulse point in her wrist and did a ten-second count. "Are you hungry? Dinner's ready. Or do you want to take a nap first? You look exhausted."

She raised her chin defiantly and pushed up off the stool, as if to prove him wrong. He stood beside her and placed a steadying hand on her arm. The fight suddenly drained from her body, and she collapsed into his arms.

"Shh… It's okay, sweetie." He rubbed her back soothingly while she fisted handfuls of his shirt. It wasn't long before he felt the wetness of her tears on his chest, and he held her and comforted her until her tears were spent.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy craned his neck to look at the bedside clock for what felt like the hundredth time. He shifted slightly, trying to find a comfortable spot without disturbing Gabriella. She stirred slightly, and he stilled, waiting until she settled back to sleep. Despite her obvious fatigue, she'd had a lot of trouble going to sleep, and she'd slept fitfully most of the night. She'd snuggled into him, unconsciously seeking his comfort, so the night hadn't been very restful for him either. Now, as dawn approached, she curled closer to him, and he splayed his fingers on the side of her abdomen. He was drifting off to sleep when movement under his palm caught his attention. A smile spread across his face as he felt the baby stretch, pressing its hand or foot against his hand.

"Hey, little one," he whispered. "What are you doing up so early?" The baby stretched again and began to squirm, and Troy suppressed a chuckle. "Hey, hey, take it easy in there," he said. "We don't want to wake up your mama. She's had a rough night."

Despite his gentle reprimand, the baby continued to move, and Troy couldn't help but grin. He was awed by the powerful connection he already felt with his child. He was so focused on the baby's movements that he was startled slightly when Gabriella's hand settled next to his. He looked up, assuming that she was awake, but her eyes were still closed and her breathing was slow and even. She looked so pretty and peaceful that he couldn't resist the urge to trace his finger lightly across her cheek and jaw. Then he lowered his hand back to her belly, and she slid her hand on top of his. That simple, unconscious gesture warmed his heart, and he easily drifted off to sleep.

...~«ώ»~...

Dr. Lentz leaned back in his office chair and clasped his hands together.

"I understand your dilemma, Gabriella. Though you didn't go to the dean's office with the intent to eavesdrop or snoop around the secretary's desk, Dr. Heller will likely interpret it that way. My advice, at least for the time being, is to wait and not mention it to her."

Gabriella's eyes widened. "What am I supposed to do, wait until school resumes in January? Show up for work to find that my replacement has already moved his things into my office?"

"I don't think that will happen. I spoke to the dean last week, and she was genuinely concerned about your health. I believe that she wants to have a substitute in place prior to your scheduled maternity leave, so that if additional complications arise, the new professor will be there to take over for you. Nick has done an admirable job of covering your classes during your absence, but he will be working on his graduate thesis next semester. He'll have to cut back on his classroom time in order to research and write."

"I'd forgotten about that," she admitted. "But doesn't it seem strange, having a new professor waiting in the wings to take my place?"

"No, not really. I think it's a smart move. As your due date approaches, the new professor will observe your classes and meet with you to go over class plans. It will make the transition as seamless as possible for your students."

Gabriella shrugged, still not convinced. "What about the thing she said about the position becoming permanent? Without tenure, there's no guarantee that my contract will be extended into the next school year."

"I understand that the new evaluation process has all of our untenured professors feeling uncertain about their future here," Dr. Lentz nodded. "But I'm a firm believer in the premise that it's unnecessary to fix things that aren't broken. In other words, Dr. Heller has no reason to eliminate professors who are doing their jobs effectively. And you, my dear, certainly fall into that category. Our enrollment numbers are up, so it's entirely possible that Dr. Heller is looking to hire new staff next year."

She chewed on her bottom lip, studying the older man across the desk. "I suppose you're right…"

"I usually am," he teased, causing her to smile in response. He was pleased to see the tension on her face begin to abate. "Now, you've had a long day, and I think you need to go home and get some rest. I'll grade the Scientific Methods lab reports tonight."

"But that's not fair," she protested. "You graded them all last week while I was gone!"

He put up his hand to end the discussion. "You've done more than your share of the work since we started sharing the class, so I don't want to hear any more arguments. Go home, take a nap, and spend a quiet evening with your husband. Quiet evenings will be hard to come by once there's a baby in the house."

"All right," she agreed reluctantly. They both stood, and she circled the desk to give him a hug. "Thank you, Dr. Lentz. For everything."

"You're welcome, Gabriella. You're very welcome."

...~«ώ»~...

On Friday, Troy set his lunch tray down on the cafeteria table and nodded greetings to Mark and Kelly.

"Hey, man," Mark acknowledged. "How's it going?"

"Not bad," Troy answered. "Not bad at all."

"How's Gabi doing?" Kelly asked. "Is she done with school yet?"

"Today's the last day of the semester," Troy replied. "She has to finish grading finals and post her students' grades, and then she's done until January. I'm taking her out for dinner tomorrow night to celebrate."

Kelly nodded her approval. "That's really sweet. Don't you think that's sweet, _Mark_?" Her tone changed as she addressed her husband, and Troy got the distinct impression that he'd walked into a disagreement between the two.

"Uh, I can go sit somewhere else…"

"No, stay." She glanced at her watch. "I need to get back to work anyway. Tell Gabi I said hi."

"I will," he promised.

"Bye, honey," Mark spoke up as she turned on her heel. She glanced back over her shoulder to roll her eyes, and then walked away.

"Geez, what did you do?" Troy asked.

"Why do you assume it was something I did? Maybe she's just having a bad day!" Troy raised his eyebrows at his friend, and Mark sighed. "Okay, fine. I was trying to get some ideas for what I could get her for Christmas, and she got all mad, saying that I should know by now what she likes. Why are women like that? Why can't they just say, 'Here's what I want' instead of being all mysterious about it? And she expects me to 'step it up' now that we're married. I don't need that kind of pressure!"

"You've been together for three years," Troy pointed out. "You should have this figured out by now. What did you get her for Christmas last year?"

Mark thought for a minute. "A blender." Troy made a face. "Hey, she said she wanted to lose a few pounds before the wedding, so I got her a blender and some low-calorie shake mixes."

"I think you should consider yourself lucky that she still married you after that," Troy joked. "What's the most romantic thing you've gotten for her?"

"Lingerie," Mark answered without hesitation. "This hot black leather number with fishnets and…"

Troy held up his hand, not wanting to hear the details. "Dude, when a guy buys lingerie for his woman, it's really more for him. Has Kelly ever bought any leather… uh, stuff… for herself?"

"No, but she said she liked it…" Mark scratched his head. "Now that I think about it, I haven't seen that get-up since the night I gave it to her…"

Troy chuckled. "Man, after all that 'Dr. Love' crap you were giving me last week, now the truth comes out. I think Dr. Love needs to have his license revoked!"

Mark crossed his arms indignantly. "Okay, Casanova, what are you getting for your lovely wife?"

"I've gotten a few things for her already, but here's something I just ordered last night." Troy pulled out his phone and found a picture from the store's website. He turned it around to show his friend.

"That's it? A heart-shaped necklace? That's your big romantic gift?"

"Gabriella was upset the other night because her hands were swollen," Troy explained. "She said she didn't want to take off her rings because it felt like she was breaking her wedding vows." He glanced down at his phone. "The heart opens so that she can hang her rings on it, and then locks shut so she doesn't have to worry about losing them. After the pregnancy's over, she can put charms on it or just wear it as a regular pendant." He slid his phone back into his pocket and looked across at his friend. "Women _do _tell you what they want, if you pay attention to what they say. And what they _don't _say."

Mark sat back in his chair to ponder that. "Hmm… Well, Kelly was all worked up last night because she found a couple of gray hairs. Maybe I should get her some of that cover-up dye."

Troy shook his head. "Let's stay away from kitchen appliances and self-improvement products. And lingerie."

"That doesn't leave me with very many options," Mark sulked. "Let's see… Oh yeah, she needs some new scrubs…"

"Have fun sleeping on the couch." Troy's pager went off, and he gulped down the last few bites of his lunch.

"Hey, you can't leave me like this," Mark called after him as he stood and turned to leave. "I need your help! Bolton, come on! Call Gabi and tell her to find out what Kelly wants. Dude, you owe me one!"

Troy turned back and rolled his eyes, much like Kelly had. "Tomorrow, man. We'll figure something out. Right now, though, I've got to get back to work."

Mark watched his friend's exit and felt his panic begin to subside. Troy would help him, and they'd find something great for Kelly. Because he had absolutely no intention of sleeping on the couch.

...~«ώ»~...

"Come on, Gabi, hurry up!" Kelly called over her shoulder. "We still have three more stores to go to before we meet the guys!"

Gabriella made a valiant effort to pick up the pace as her friend scurried ahead of her, but her feet felt like they were mired in wet cement. She inwardly chastised herself for agreeing to accompany Kelly on her impromptu shopping trip. Christmas was just over a week away, and the mall was packed with holiday shoppers. Gabriella usually enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, but this year all she could think about was how soon she would be able to sit down. She'd already finished most of her shopping online during the week she'd been on bed rest, but Kelly had practically dragged her out of the house that morning. Troy and Mark had worked part of the day and then set out to do some shopping of their own. The foursome planned to meet up for dinner that evening. Gabriella hoped she could stay on her feet that long.

"Gabi!" Kelly's face suddenly appeared right in front of her, and Gabriella realized that she'd spaced out and slowed almost to a stop.

"I'm coming," Gabriella sighed.

Kelly's expression softened. "I'm sorry, hon. I didn't mean to run off on you like that."

"It's okay. I just can't navigate through the crowd like you can. You're like a gazelle and I'm a hippopotamus."

Kelly planted her fists on her hips. "Gabriella Bolton, don't you dare say stuff like that. You look great!"

"I feel huge," Gabriella admitted.

"You may _feel _huge, but you _aren't _huge. Get that out of your head right now, or I'll be forced to beat it out of you." Kelly's playful threat had the desired effect; her friend giggled.

"I have a new appreciation for the term 'shop 'til you drop,'" Gabriella confessed. "How about this… You shop, and I'll drop. Right over there on that bench by the fountain."

Kelly considered that. "Okay, two of the stores I need to go to are down that way." She pointed over her shoulder. I'll go get what I need there, and then come back and pick you up. Then we can go to the sporting goods store together."

Gabriella released a sigh of relief. "That sounds great. Thank you."

Kelly gave her a quick hug and then hurried off, and Gabriella trudged to the bench and sat down. She pulled her phone out of her purse and tapped a quick message to Troy. He and Mark had arrived at the mall an hour or so earlier, and he and Gabriella had been texting each other their whereabouts to prevent Mark and Kelly from bumping into one another while they shopped for the other's gift. Once her message was sent, she returned the phone to her purse and leaned back against the wooden back of the bench. The steady stream of shoppers and the Christmas music playing over the loudspeaker lulled her into a state of relaxation, and soon her eyes drifted shut. She had no idea how long she sat like that before a man's voice startled her.

"Excuse me, ma'am."

She opened her eyes, expecting to see a mall cop. Instead, she saw Troy standing in front of her wearing a mischievous grin. He approached slowly and sat down beside her.

"Please forgive me for being so forward, but I was walking by and saw you sitting here, and…" He glanced away, pretending to be shy. "And I thought you were the prettiest little thing I've ever laid eyes on."

Gabriella caught on to his game and smiled bashfully. "I… oh, um… thank you. I'm Gabriella." She offered her hand for him to shake, and he took it eagerly.

"I'm Troy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Gabriella." He turned her hand and raised it to his lips to kiss it. "What are you doing sitting here all by yourself?"

"Waiting for someone," she answered.

He frowned. "A man?"

"No. My friend Kelly."

"So, Gabriella, would you maybe consider giving me your number? I'd like to take you out sometime."

She pulled back her hand. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

"Why not?" he persisted.

"Well, I, uh…" She realized how breathy her voice sounded and cleared her throat. "You should know that, um… I'm pregnant."

Troy slid his arm across the back of the bench behind her and leaned in so closely that she could feel his breath on her cheek. The huskiness of his voice sent a chill down her spine. "Well then, Gabriella, _you _should know that I think you're the sexiest pregnant woman I've ever met. I'd love to take you back to my place and get better acquainted."

Gabriella felt her cheeks warm. "I don't know. That's moving pretty fast. I'm not that kind of girl."

He backed away a bit. "Okay, so let's start with dinner tonight and see where it goes from there. Come on, what do you say?"

"All right, but only if my friend can come along," she answered coyly.

He nodded his agreement. "I have a friend that I can bring too. Maybe he and Kelly can find something to do while you and I get to know each other."

"If they don't kill each other first," Gabriella muttered, signaling an end to their playful flirtation.

Troy laughed and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "That's actually why I came to find you. Mark's in the jewelry store over there, and we may be here all night if he doesn't get some help picking out Kelly's gift."

"Why couldn't you help him? You have good taste with jewelry." She touched the charm bracelet on her wrist, the one he'd given her in Hawaii, to prove her point.

"Yeah, well, try telling that to Mark, because he won't listen to me. Even though I'm the one who suggested the jewelry store in the first place."

"Okay, let's go before Kelly gets back."

Troy stood and offered his hand to help her up. When she was on her feet, he tugged her into his side and kissed the top of her head. "Can I carry your bag for you?"

She smiled up at him. "Only if you don't peek in it."

"Ooh, a present for me?"

"My lips are sealed," she teased.

"I can be pretty persuasive, you know," he grinned. "Especially when it involves your lips."

He lowered his head to kiss her, and she allowed herself to melt into him for a few moments before she pulled away.

"Nice try," she murmured.

He picked up her shopping bag and took her hand. As they walked toward the jewelry store, he pointed out a funny sign in front of a kiosk. When she looked back at him, he was craning his neck to see what was in the shopping bag. She hit his arm playfully.

"Quit peeking!" she demanded. "You're worse than a little kid!"

Troy laughed. "Just think, next year you'll have _two _of us to deal with!"

Gabriella slowed to look at the line of children waiting to sit on Santa's lap, and her hand automatically covered her belly.

"I can't wait."

He put his arm around her, and they stood there for a few moments to watch a little girl tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas.

"We have a lot to celebrate this year," he commented. "And a lot to look forward to."

"Yeah, we do," she agreed softly.

"Hey, Bolton, what's the hold-up?" Mark called from the entrance to the jewelry store. "I can't wait all day!"

Gabriella shook her head. "Speaking of little kids…"

Troy chuckled and took her hand again. "Come on, babe, let's get this done. We both know Mark Davis won't be growing up anytime soon."


	57. The Heart of Christmas

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 57—The Heart of Christmas**

_A/N: My sincere apologies for making you wait so long for this chapter. I had hoped to publish it before Christmas, but I obviously missed the mark by a few weeks. Thank you for your patience, thanks to Robin for her advice on the chapter, and muchas gracias to __Isabella for her eagerness to help with translations_. I wish you all a belated Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Year!**  
**

* * *

As soon as Troy opened the front door, his nostrils were filled with the smell of baked goods. He sat down his bag, dropped his keys on the hall table, and made a beeline for the kitchen. Once there, he paused in the doorway to take in the view. Every flat surface was covered with baking sheets, waxed paper, and cookies and pastries on cooling racks. Gabriella was bent over the stove with an apron tied around her belly, and Troy heard a sizzle as she dropped dough into the fryer. When she turned to get more paper towels to soak up the excess grease, she spotted Troy and smiled sheepishly. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat and exertion, and she used her arm to wipe sweat from her forehead.

"I guess I don't have to ask what you've been up to today," he teased.

"I decided to make some treats to send to my grandparents for Christmas." She retrieved the fried dough from the fryer and dropped in another piece. "I might have gotten a little bit carried away."

He laughed. "Just a little bit. How long have you been at this?"

She bit her lip. "Most of the day. I've finished the Mexican wedding cakes and ancho chile truffles. The churros are cooling, and now I'm frying sopaipillas."

He moved forward to tuck a thick strand of hair behind her ear and wipe powdered sugar off of her jaw. Then he leaned in to kiss her and tasted cinnamon on her lips.

"And you've been doing some sampling, too," he pointed out with a wink.

"I ate two or three churros," she admitted. "They're really good when they're still warm."

Troy waited until she turned back to the fryer and then helped himself to a couple of wedding cake cookies.

"Did my dad's gift come today?"

She glanced over her shoulder. "I've been so busy that I forgot to get the mail."

"I'll go grab it." He popped another cookie into his mouth before jogging through the house and out the front door. When he returned to the kitchen, Gabriella turned to face him.

"Did it come?"

"No, but there's something here for you," he replied. "'Who's Your Hero?' Foundation. Why does that sound so familiar?"

She wiped her hands on her apron before taking the envelope. "San Francisco hosts that big awards ceremony every year, remember? Dr. Jacobson was a guest presenter last year."

"Oh, yeah," Troy nodded. "Maybe they want _you_ to present an award this year."

"No, they're probably just asking for a donation." She unfolded the letter and began reading. Soon her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open.

"It looks like I was right," Troy surmised.

"No… They… This says…" She reread the paper and frowned. "This can't be right. It must be a mistake."

Troy moved closer and took the letter from her hands. He skimmed through it and let out a whoop of excitement.

"Honey, you've been _nominated_ for an award! That's awesome!" He reached for her, but she shook her head.

"This is… They must have the wrong address or something. I haven't done anything to deserve an award. Surely they have me confused with someone else."

Troy looked down at the letter. "It says you were nominated by Hector and Sofia Ramirez. Do you recognize those names?"

"No, I don't," she insisted. "That's why I'm sure this is a mistake." She took the letter from his hands, refolded it, and set it on the windowsill. "I'll call the Foundation tomorrow and ask them to update their records."

"Okay," Troy agreed and touched her arm. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No, I'm almost done with the sopaipillas, and then I made chicken empanatas for dinner. It won't take long to fry them."

"Oh, good, I love your empanadas. I'm going to look up the tracking information for Dad's gift on the internet, and then I'll set the table."

"Thank you."

She turned back to the fryer, and Troy opened the cupboard to get a glass, surreptitiously sliding the letter off the windowsill in the process. He tucked it in his pocket, went to the refrigerator to get a drink, and then escaped to the living room. There, he opened his laptop and started searching.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella scooped the last empanada out of the fryer and turned off the burner. Then she put her hands on her back and stretched, trying to ease her aching muscles. Warm hands covered hers and began kneading her back, and she barely stopped herself from moaning.

"That feels really good," she sighed.

"You've been on your feet too long," he scolded gently. "Here, come sit down for a minute."

He led her over to a stool by the kitchen island, sat her down, and then pulled up another stool for himself. He took the letter out of his back pocket and laid it on her knees.

"Troy…" she began.

"Shh, just hear me out, okay? I did some searching and figured out what this is about. You were right. You've never met Hector and Sofia Ramirez. But you saved their little girl's life."

She frowned for a moment, and then her hands covered her mouth. "The accident… the little girl in the van. She survived."

It had been three months since the accident that Troy and Gabriella had come upon on the way home from UCS. The media had provided coverage about the accident and the adults who had been involved, but the girl's parents had chosen not to release information about her condition. Troy and Gabriella had had no way of knowing how she was doing.

"She survived," Troy confirmed. "And she was recently released from the hospital. I found an article about it on the Vallejo Times Herald's website."

"But… What about you? You triaged the whole accident scene and saved several lives. If anyone deserves an award, it's _you!"_

He shrugged. "Don't worry about me. I'm a doctor. I was just doing what I've been trained to do. That little girl is alive because of _you_, and you deserve to be recognized." He took her hands. "Sweetheart, I'm _so _proud of you! We're going to get dressed up, and you're going to go up on that stage and get your award, and I'll be in the front row cheering you on."

She hesitated for a few moments, unsure what to say, and then she leaned forward into his embrace.

"Thank you," she whispered into his shoulder.

...~«ώ»~...

Later in the week, Troy offered a faint smile as he sat down at the lunch table with Kelly.

"Where's Mark?" he asked.

"In surgery," she answered. "Ruptured spleen."

"I did a shoulder surgery this morning." Troy took a bite of his lunch. "Football injury."

"This late in the year? Most schools' football seasons are already over." She leaned forward. "Unless it's a bowl playoff team. Or a pro…"

He scoffed. "Yeah, I'm sure Dr. Overman would hand a pro football player over to a resident to work on. It's a kid from Stanford. Messed himself up pretty badly."

"So he's out of the post-season?" She bit her lip. "I bet on them to go all the way! I'd better go call my bookie!"

He shook his head at her teasing, but soon his face grew serious again. Kelly immediately sensed the change and touched his arm.

"Troy, what's wrong?"

"Maria called last night. Her mother's not doing well, and she's decided to spend Christmas in Texas." Troy's mouth twisted. "Gabriella's taking it pretty hard. I've often criticized Maria for not visiting more often, but she's never missed Christmas with Gabriella."

Kelly frowned. "This will almost certainly be Maria's mother's last Christmas. How long have the doctors given her?"

"Six months," he answered. "I can't blame Maria for wanting to spend one last Christmas with her mother. If it was my mom, I would feel the same way. But it's hard for Gabriella that she can't travel to see her grandmother or spend the holiday with her family. Maria promised that she'd come here for a visit after Christmas."

"I hope that's a promise she keeps."

"I think she will. Dealing with her mom's terminal illness has shifted Maria's priorities. She makes time to talk to Gabriella more often, and she's showing more enthusiasm about the baby too."

She leaned forward. "What about you? Are you giving up your long-standing grudge against your mother-in-law?"

"There's no grudge." He shrugged. "The only problem I've ever had with Maria is the way she treated Gabriella. I tolerated it much longer than I should have. But she's making a genuine effort to extend the olive branch, so I'm willing to reach out and take it."

"I'm glad, Troy." She squeezed his hand and then glanced at her watch. "I need to get going. I'm going to take a sandwich up to Mark so he can eat between surgeries. Tell Gabi I'm thinking about her."

"I will. And tell Mark to quit showing off and get his butt down here for lunch tomorrow."

Kelly rolled her eyes. "It won't help, but I'll tell him. See you later."

"Goodbye."

…..~«ώ»~…..

Late Saturday morning, Gabriella shifted from one foot to the other as she waited near the baggage claim area at the airport. She wished that she was there to pick up her mother, but sadly, that was not the case. Maria would not be there for Christmas. Tears stung the backs of her eyes, but she fought them. She'd cried enough in the past few days, and it was time to let her disappointment go and enjoy her in-laws' visit. She glanced up at the arriving passengers just in time to catch her mother-in-law's eye. Lucille grabbed Jack's arm and waved excitedly. Gabriella smiled. They navigated impatiently through the crowd of travelers until they finally reached their daughter-in-law and swept her up in a warm three-way hug.

"It's great to see you," Jack grinned.

Lucille took a step back to inspect Gabriella, keeping hold of her hands. "You look beautiful! How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good," Gabriella answered. "Just a little tired, but Dr. Grant said that's normal in the third trimester."

"I was exhausted during my third trimester," Lucille agreed. "I hope you're getting some rest while you're home on Winter Break."

"Troy's been watching me like a hawk, making sure I'm eating enough, sleeping enough…"

"Where _is_ Troy?" Jack interrupted, looking around.

"He was called in to work at the Ortho clinic this morning. He's done at 1:00, so, if you guys are up to it, I thought maybe we could go meet him there and eat a late lunch together."

"Yeah, let's do that," Jack nodded. "I want to see the new physical therapy equipment he told me about. And we'll still get back in time to catch some college hoops on TV. If I remember right, Berkeley is playing tonight." He looked towards the exit. "Gabriella, where did you park?"

"Maybe we should get our luggage first, Jack," Lucille pointed out, winking at Gabriella.

He chuckled. "I suppose." The baggage carousel started up, and he moved forward to look for their bags. Lucille put her arm around her daughter-in-law.

"One-track mind," she laughed. "I'm afraid my son's the same way."

"He can be," Gabriella agreed. "But I think I'll keep him."

"That's good, because he adores you. And this little one…" Lucille touched the side of Gabriella's belly. "I'm not sure I've ever seen a man so excited to become a father." She smiled nostalgically. "Except maybe Jack when Troy was born."

Gabriella nodded, touched by the kind words. Her eyes burned, and she bit her bottom lip to try to keep the tears from falling.

Lucille pretended not to notice as she turned to scan the baggage claim area. "I'm going to help Jack find our bags, or we might be here all day."

She squeezed Gabriella's shoulder and then drifted away, leaving her daughter-in-law to subtly swipe the errant tears from her cheeks. Gabriella took a deep breath to compose herself, grateful for Lucille's sensitivity and discretion. Despite Maria's absence, she knew in her heart that it would be a very special Christmas.

...~«ώ»~...

When Gabriella and Lucille walked into the Ortho clinic, Gabriella was surprised to see that the waiting room was nearly empty. She'd assumed that Troy had been called in because the clinic was busy that day, but that certainly didn't appear to be the case. The receptionist wasn't at her desk, and the only person in the waiting room was a young man dressed in pale blue scrubs running a vacuum cleaner. When he looked up and saw the two women, he turned off the vacuum and frowned.

"We're closed."

"It's only 12:40," Gabriella pointed out. "The clinic is usually open until 1:00 on Saturdays."

"Not today, it's not."

"Well, we're here to see Dr. Bolton…"

"He's not seeing any more patients today. I'm going to have to ask you girls to leave…"

"Sanchez!" The young man looked up at the doorway that divided the waiting room from the exam rooms and flinched. Troy was standing there with his arms folded and his face tight. "You have exactly five seconds to find a more appropriate and respectful way to speak to my wife and my mother!"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Bolton," Sanchez stammered. "I didn't know they were your… I mean, I thought they were patients…"

"We don't address our patients that way, either," Troy scolded. "Get your stuff and get out of here. You're done for the day." He held his stern posture until the younger man eased past him and disappeared into the back. Then he returned his attention to the women. "I'm sorry about that. He's an intern, and… well, he's got a lot to learn." His face relaxed into a smile. "What a nice surprise to see you two here. Where's Dad?"

"Parking the car," Lucille told him as she pulled him into a hug. "We were waiting for him in the lobby, but after his third lap around the hospital parking lot, we decided to come on up. It's good to see you, Son."

"Good to see you too, Mom." When Lucille released him, he turned to Gabriella and leaned down to kiss her sweetly. "Hey, beautiful."

"Hey yourself," she murmured, tucking her arm around his waist as his arm settled on her shoulders. He was handsome in dark slacks, a dress shirt and tie, and his white lab coat, and she laid her other hand on his taut stomach. "Did you chase away all of your patients already?"

Troy chuckled just as Jack walked into the office. After a quick hug and warm greeting, Troy returned to Gabriella's side.

"I saw patients until noon, and then did an interview with a reporter from the California Journal of Sports Medicine. They're doing a feature about the clinic for next month's issue."

"How exciting," Lucille exclaimed. "My son's going to be famous!"

"Hardly," Troy laughed. "Most of the interview was with Dr. Overman and Dr. Trimble. The reporter only talked to me because I was in the therapy room when they brought her through while touring the facility. Well, that, and she recognized me from the Berkeley basketball team. She was a sports reporter for the Daily Californian at the time. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that Dr. Overman only called me in so I could cover his patients while he was schmoozing with the guest. I didn't know until I got here that he hadn't scheduled any patients after noon."

"So you're all done now?" Lucille asked. "Your dad was hoping to see the new therapy equipment."

"And then we can go get some lunch, if that's all right with you," Gabriella added.

"Hey, I won't say no to the food _or_ the company," Troy agreed, turning towards the back of the clinic. "Right this way."

...~«ώ»~...

On Sunday afternoon, Troy and Jack settled in front of the television for an afternoon of football, and Lucille and Gabriella went out to see a movie and shop for the baby. It was nearly dinnertime when they turned into the Boltons' neighborhood. Gabriella glanced over at her mother-in-law in the passenger seat.

"Thank you for today, Lucille. It was just what I needed to get my mind off of… everything."

"You're welcome, honey. I know it's tough to be away from your family at Christmastime."

"You and Jack are my family too. I'm glad you're here."

"Me too."

Gabriella frowned as she pulled into the driveway. "Why is the front door open? And the windows, too!"

"Maybe they got hot," Lucille suggested.

Gabriella checked the outside temperature reading on the car's dashboard. "It's only 40 degrees!" She turned off the ignition and released the trunk so Lucille could retrieve their purchases, and then hurried up the porch steps. Troy was waiting for her just inside the doorway.

"Troy, what's going on? It's _freezing _in here!"

He grinned. "Dad and I have been working on a surprise for you. I'll show you, but first, you have to close your eyes."

She stared at him incredulously for a few moments, and then closed her eyes. He moved behind her and put his hands on her shoulders to guide her. Then he propelled her forward. When they stopped, she knew they were in the spare bedroom.

Troy squeezed her shoulders. "Okay, open your eyes."

She did so, and gasped. The walls were covered with fresh paint, the pastel green and yellow shades that Troy and Gabriella had chosen together. The bed and desk had been removed so that only the baby furniture and supplies remained. It was a complete transformation. The room no longer looked like a spare room. It looked like a nursery.

"We'll hang the curtains and mount the pictures after the paint dries," Troy told her. "And we can put the rest of the furniture together later." He searched her face. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," she breathed. "It's beautiful. Just like I imagined it." She threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you!" Then she turned to Jack, who'd followed them into the room, and gave him an equally enthusiastic hug. "Thank you, Jack!"

"You're welcome, honey. I'm glad you like it."

"Mom was in on it too," Troy told her.

Gabriella turned to look at her mother-in-law. "This whole afternoon was just a ruse to get me out of the house?"

Lucille smiled. "Well, it was an opportunity for us to spend time together, _and _a ruse to get you out of the house."

"I was worried about you breathing the paint fumes, so I wanted to get it done while you were gone. The windows are open to air out the house," Troy explained. "We're going to go out for dinner as soon as Dad and I get cleaned up. If it still smells when we get back, then you can spend the night at the hotel with Mom, and Dad will stay here with me."

"I'm sure that won't be necessary," Gabriella replied.

Lucille rubbed her arms. "At least the hotel is _warm!"_

"Good point," Troy nodded. "Mom, why don't you take Gabriella on out to the car, and Dad and I will be out in ten minutes."

Gabriella started to protest, but Lucille linked arms with her and moved toward the front of the house. Resistance was futile, she realized, so she grabbed her purse and followed her mother-in-law out the door.

...~«ώ»~...

Christmas Eve was on Monday, and Troy had to work. Gabriella and Lucille spent the day cooking and baking, and Jack ventured out to do some last-minute Christmas shopping. That evening they enjoyed a nice dinner together, and then made a spur-of-the-moment decision to go to the late service at the Memorial Church at Stanford, where Troy and Gabriella had married.

"Oh, I'd forgotten how beautiful this place is," Lucille exclaimed as they pulled into the parking lot. The structure itself was majestic, but the thousands of twinkling white lights that decorated its façade made it appear as if it glowed in the moonlight.

"It's been awhile since we've been here, Luce," Jack pointed out. "Not since the wedding." He climbed out of the car and circled around to offer his hand to his wife. Troy did the same.

"Four and a half years," Troy added. He took Gabriella's hand and tucked it into the bend of his arm.

She smiled up at him nostalgically. "It was a beautiful day," she murmured.

"It was hot, if I remember correctly," Lucille put in as she and Jack walked ahead of the younger couple.

"You're right, it _was_ hot," Jack agreed.

Troy grinned at his wife. "I didn't notice."

Lucille looked back at them and shook her head. "The building could have fallen down around you and I don't think either of you would have noticed."

"You're probably right," Gabriella replied. "That whole day felt like a dream." She squeezed Troy's arm. "A dream come true."

"Absolutely," he agreed.

When they entered the building, Jack and Lucille had moved toward the aisle that led into the church's sanctuary.

"Troy, I should probably use the restroom before the service starts," Gabriella murmured, smoothing a hand over her belly. "The baby is pressing into my bladder."

He nodded sympathetically, and then made his way over to where his parents were waiting.

"This place is filling up fast. You guys go on in and find us seats, and we'll join you shortly."

They nodded and made their way up the aisle, and Troy returned to the restroom to wait for Gabriella. When she emerged, he took her hand and maneuvered her through the crowded vestibule. Just before they started up the aisle to join Jack and Lucille, a man appeared beside them.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry to bother you, but could I have a word with you?"

Gabriella looked up at Troy, confused.

"Please, it will only take a minute," the man persisted. "My name is Reverend Henry Johnson. I'm on the clergy staff here."

The three of them stepped to the side to allow others to pass, and then Rev. Johnson continued. "We have a problem. The woman who plays Mary in our living Nativity scene went into labor after our last service. I… I noticed that you're pregnant, and I wondered if you might be willing to take her place. It's a non-speaking role—the narrator will read the Christmas story from the Bible. All you have to do is walk up the aisle and then take your place in the Nativity."

Gabriella glanced at Troy uncertainly. "I don't know…"

Rev. Johnson turned his attention to Troy. "We need someone to play Joseph as well. Our actor went to the hospital with his wife. Please. We can't have a manger scene without Mary and Joseph."

Troy looked at Gabriella. It had been ten years since they'd acted onstage together. After a moment, she smiled and nodded.

"Okay, let's do it."

"Wonderful!" Rev. Johnson exclaimed. "If you'll follow me, we'll get you into costume, and the director will explain your roles."

"Hold on, I need to tell my parents what we're doing," Troy interrupted. He jogged up the aisle, drawing stares from people who were already seated, and briefly explained the dilemma. They nodded enthusiastically and stood to search for seats closer to the front of the church.

The next thirty minutes were a blur of introductions, costume fittings and make-up applications, and last-minute instructions. The reenactment of the Nativity scene was scheduled for the conclusion of the service, so as they prepared, they heard music, speaking, and singing.

"The lights will go out when you're seated, and someone will bring the baby out to you," the director told Gabriella. "We have a three-month-old boy who will be playing Jesus."

"Won't that look strange?" Gabriella questioned. "I'll still be pregnant…"

The director gave her a frazzled smile. "The baby will cover your stomach. You'll remain seated for the rest of the narration, and the other actors—shepherds, wise men—they'll fill in around you. After the candle-lighting ceremony, there will be a blackout. Everybody will clear the stage before the final song." Through the stone walls, they heard the organ playing. "Okay, that's our cue. Places, everyone!"

Troy and Gabriella were hurried to the back of the church, and there they waited for their cue from the narrator. When it came, they began their walk down the aisle. Gabriella's steps were slow and labored, and she leaned on Troy for support. Troy knew she was a good actress, but he also felt real fatigue in her shoulders and back. She kept one arm curled around the bottom of her abdomen, emphasizing her pregnancy and the difficulty of the journey, and Troy fixed an expression of worry on his face as he helped her up onto the stage and into the stable scene. Once she was seated, he moved to stand behind her. The lights went out, and the narrator continued his reading from the book of Luke.

"_While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. Then Mary gave birth to her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."_

When the lights came back on, a baby lay in Gabriella's arms. Troy's chest tightened. The narrator continued on, and other costumed men gathered around them, but Troy's only focus was on his wife and the baby in her arms. In two months, Gabriella would give birth to _their _baby. He'd dreamed of having children with Gabriella for a long time, and now their child's birth was only eight weeks away. His hands tightened on her shoulders, and when she smiled up at him, it nearly took his breath away. She looked so beautiful and serene and… _maternal. _She rocked the baby gently, and Troy watched, transfixed, as the baby's eyes slid shut and his head nestled into Gabriella's breast. The organ began to play, and the lighting of the candles began as the audience sang "Silent Night." A tear slid down Gabriella's cheek, and it took every ounce of Troy's will to keep from leaning down and kissing it away.

Finally, the lights went out. Troy helped Gabriella to her feet and followed the rest of the actors off the stage. The baby's mother was waiting nearby, and Gabriella handed her the sleeping child, leaning over to give him a soft kiss on the cheek. Troy took his wife's hand and led her back to the room where they'd changed into their costumes. Once inside, he gathered her in his arms and kissed her.

"Two things," he murmured when their lips separated. "One, you were great out there. I loved being onstage with you again. And two, you're going to be an amazing mother. Watching you with that baby was… beautiful."

"I love you, Troy." She pulled his head back down so she could kiss him just as the church bells rang above them. "It's midnight," she whispered against his lips.

"So it is," he agreed. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart."

"Merry Christmas."

...~«ώ»~...

On Christmas morning, Jack and Lucille discreetly waited until late morning to come to Troy and Gabriella's house, allowing the young couple to exchange gifts and celebrate privately. Lucille and Gabriella finished the Christmas lunch they'd prepared the day before, and the foursome enjoyed a delicious meal and an opportunity to relax and spend time together as a family. Gabriella smiled and laughed and enjoyed the company, but Troy could tell that her mom and grandmother were on her mind. By the afternoon, she was physically and emotionally worn out, so she excused herself and went to lie down. It seemed like she hadn't been asleep for very long when Troy sat down beside her and rubbed her arm. She tried to ignore him, but he was insistent, so she opened her eyes to see an impish grin on his face.

"Did you have a good nap?" he asked indulgently.

"It wasn't long enough," she grumbled.

"Sorry, babe." He didn't look sorry at all. "I have a surprise you."

"Right now?"

"Yes. It's important. Come on."

He offered his hand to pull her to her feet, and then led her out to the dining room. His laptop was open on the table, and he eased her down into the chair in front of it. Her mind was still drowsy, so she was totally unprepared when Troy pressed a button on the computer, bringing the dark screen to life. She covered her mouth with her hands, fighting instant tears as her grandmother's face appeared in front of her.

"Abuelita Estella!"

"_¡Sopresa, Gabriella! ¡Feliz Navidad!"_

"_¡Feliz Navidad! Es maravilloso verlos. ¿Esta mi abuelito ahí? ¿Y mi mamá?"_

"Yes, your grandfather and I are here, m'ija," Maria called from off-camera.

The camera's view widened so that Gabriella could see them. A moment later, Maria's brother walked into the shot and sat down with a wave.

"We miss you, Gabi," Maria told her.

"I miss you too," Gabriella replied. Her gaze shifted to her grandfather. _"¡Hola Abuelito! ¿Cómo estás?"_

"_Yo estoy bien, Pequeña."_

Gabriella's tears spilled over. _Pequeña. Little one._ It had been years since she'd heard that term of affection from her grandfather.

"_¡Hola Gabi!" _her uncle called.

"¡Tio Ricardo! It's been so long since I've seen you."

"Yes," he agreed. "You've grown into a beautiful young woman."

Gabriella blushed at the compliment.

"Where is Troy?" Maria asked.

Gabriella motioned to Troy, who was standing off to the side. He sat down next to her and waved at the screen.

"Tio Ricardo, this is my husband, Troy."

"Hello again, Troy," Ricardo smiled.

Gabriella looked at Troy, confused.

"Your uncle set up the equipment there so they could video chat with you," he explained.

"With a_ lot_ of coaching from Troy," Maria added.

"Yes, thank you, Troy," Ricardo nodded.

"I'm glad I could help."

"Gabriella," her grandfather called. _"Gracias por los regalitos que nos mandaste. ¡Estaban deliciosos!"_

"He thanked me for the treats I sent them," Gabriella told Troy softly. She turned back to the screen. _"¡De nada! ¡Me alegra que les haya gustado!"_

"We enjoyed them way too much," her uncle chuckled, slapping his hands over his belly.

"M'ija, stand up and let your grandparents see their great-grandchild," Maria urged.

Gabriella stood obediently and turned so they could see her belly.

"_Un precioso bebé," _her grandmother proclaimed. _"Estamos muy orgullosos."_

"_Gracias."_ As she sat back down, she told Troy, "Abuelita said that they are very proud."

"Gabi, we have a very special gift for you," Maria announced.

Troy left the table to retrieve the package and then placed it in front of her. Her hands trembled as she tore away the paper and lifted out a colorful crocheted baby blanket.

"Your grandmother made it for you."

Gabriella stroked the soft material and studied the intricate stitches. She remembered her grandmother's gnarled, arthritic hands and wondered at how painful it must have been for her to make the blanket. Maria seemed to sense her unspoken question.

"She's been working on it for months. I helped her finish it, but Mamá did most of the work."

"It's beautiful," Gabriella murmured. _"¡Es hermoso! ¡Gracias, Abuelita!"_

"_De nada,_ _Pequeña," _her grandmother replied._ "Incluso cuando me vaya, el bebé va a estar rodeado con mi amor."_

Gabriella covered her face with her hands and wept. Troy put his arm around her and looked up at Maria, alarmed. There were tears on her face too.

"Mamá said that even when she is gone, the baby will be surrounded with her love."

"_¡Abuelita, yo no quiero que te vallas todavía!"_ Gabriella cried. _I don't want you to leave us yet!_

"_Esta en las manos de Dios," _her grandmother replied calmly. _It is in God's hands._

Maria looked off to the side, and then looked back at Gabriella apologetically. "M'ija, Mamá's therapist is here, so we have to say goodbye for now. We'll talk again soon, okay?"

Gabriella nodded sadly. _"Los amo muchísimo. A todos. Mi familia."_

"We love you too, honey," Maria answered.

"_Hasta que nos veamos de nuevo, Gabriella." _Her grandmother blew her a kiss. _Until we meet again._

"_Adiós."_

Her uncle moved forward to disconnect the call, and Gabriella touched the screen, holding on until their faces disappeared. Then she picked up the blanket and buried her face in it as more tears escaped. Troy rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" he finally asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that seeing them would be so upsetting."

"No, don't apologize." She turned in her chair and cupped his face with her hands. "That was one of the sweetest things you've ever done for me. Thank you. I love you so much."

She leaned forward to kiss him, and then smiled as he tenderly wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Seeing that beautiful smile is all the thanks I need," he murmured, brushing her lips with his. "I love you."


	58. Everyday Heroes

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 58—Everyday Heroes**

_A/N: This chapter is dedicated to the everyday heroes in Boston, Massachusetts and around the world._

* * *

"Time out!" Jack panted. He staggered off of the driveway and collapsed onto the grass in the front yard. "Better yet, let's call it halftime."

"Whatever you say, Coach," Troy teased as he lowered himself to the ground next to his father.

"You must not have been paying attention when your mother and I taught you to respect your elders."

"I heard every word," Troy argued. "And I was also paying attention when my coach taught me to 'take no prisoners' on the basketball court."

Jack chuckled. "Your coach was quite a bit younger back then."

"Come on, Dad. You've still got some good moves. Mine are just better, that's all."

"You know, I hope you have a boy, because I look forward to the day when he beats _you_ on the court." Jack lay back on the grass and folded his hands behind his head. "I might even give him some pointers."

Troy laughed. "Once a coach, always a coach, huh?" Jack nodded. "You know, Dad, there's just as good a chance that we could have a girl. What would you do then?"

"I'd be okay with a granddaughter. I can find other ways to impart my wisdom, even if it's not on the basketball court." He shielded his eyes from the morning sun and squinted up at his son. "Wait, do you know something that you're not telling me?"

"We still don't know the sex of the baby," Troy insisted. "We'll be surprised just like everybody else."

"Do you have a preference?"

Troy shrugged. "I kind of go back and forth. It would be really cool to have a son, so we could do all the things that you and I did when I was a kid. Then again, I'd consider myself lucky have a little girl who's beautiful like her mom." He spun the basketball between his hands. "Either way, I just want the baby—and Gabriella—to be healthy."

"It sounds like you're taking your impending fatherhood in stride."

"I guess so. But if you have any fatherly wisdom to impart, I'm all ears."

"Hmm." Jack thought for a minute. "You'll just have to take things as they come, one step at a time. You and Gabriella have a good foundation to start from. Before you were born, my dad told me that one of the best ways to show your child that you love him—or her—is to love your partner. It's easy to let the baby become the center of your universe, but your marriage has to be nurtured and cared for just like your child." He glanced over at Troy, who was staring thoughtfully at the basketball in his hands. "I don't think you ever had reason to doubt how much I love your mother. I know you feel the same way about Gabriella."

"I do. Thanks, Dad." Troy clapped him on the back. "Whenever I start worrying about what kind of father I'll be, I just have to remind myself that I've got a great role model to look to."

"Thank you, Troy. That means a lot to me."

Troy pushed to his feet and offered his hand to Jack. "Of course, if you think that means I'm going to go easy on you, you're crazy."

Jack grinned as he stood. "Game on."

…..~«ώ»~…..

When Gabriella got up, she was surprised to see Lucille sitting in the living room, reading the newspaper.

"Good morning!" Lucille said cheerfully.

"Hi." Gabriella glanced towards the kitchen. "Where's Troy? And Jack?"

Lucille held up her finger, and a moment later, there was a celebratory _whoop _outside.

"Basketball?"

"What else?" Lucille rolled her eyes and patted the couch beside her. Gabriella accepted the invitation and sat next to her mother-in-law. "Would you like some hot tea? It's decaffeinated."

"Sure," Gabriella nodded.

Lucille already had the pot of hot water sitting on the coffee table, so Gabriella opened a tea bag, put it in her cup, and poured the water over it. It didn't take long for the tea leaves to steep, and after stirring in a little bit of sugar, Gabriella sat back with her mug, tucking her legs underneath her.

"The guys are going to take us out for breakfast when they finish their game, but we both know that may take awhile," Lucille commented. "Troy didn't want to wake you yet. He said you didn't sleep very well last night."

Gabriella shrugged. "The baby woke me up a couple times."

Lucille waited, guessing that there was more to it than that.

"And… well, I couldn't stop thinking about _Abuelita_ Estella." She took a sip of tea. "Seeing her yesterday was… harder… than I expected."

"Why is that?"

"I wasn't around my grandparents very much when I was young—Mom was too busy with work to go visit them more than a couple times a year—but _Abuelita_ always made an effort to stay in touch. She'd send me little gifts or notes… I can't even remember if I ever thanked her."

"I'm sure you did, honey."

Gabriella sniffed. "It's hard to think that I may not see her again, that she might never have the chance to meet her great-grandchild."

Lucille laid a hand on Gabriella's knee. "Maybe those are good reasons for her to hold on a little bit longer."

"But the doctors said six months at the most," Gabriella argued.

"That doesn't mean anything." Lucille waved her hand dismissively as the front door opened. "Doctors are wrong all the time."

"Hey, what've you got against doctors?" Troy asked from the doorway.

"Nothing. I was just saying that doctors aren't always right. They make mistakes like everyone else."

"Well, that's true, but…"

"Troy, you've said yourself that medicine is not an exact science," Gabriella added with a wry smile.

He clutched his chest dramatically. "First my mom, and then my _wife, _disparaging my profession. Can you believe this, Dad?"

"Better you than me, Son," Jack shrugged. "Besides, you could stand to be taken down a peg or two after all the crap you were giving me outside."

"You're just a sore loser," Troy answered, jabbing his dad in the stomach. "I'm up for a rematch after you rest and recover, old man!"

"Oh, yeah? Let's go, then. I'll go get some water, and then you can put your money where your mouth is." Jack turned back toward the door, but Lucille stopped him.

"Hold it! You two can finish wiping up the court with each other later. I don't know about Gabriella, but I'm starving, so get in there and shower so we can go." She winked at her daughter-in-law. "Besides, we can finish talking about you while you're getting ready."

"Aw, Mom," Troy whined. He leaned over to place a quick kiss on Gabriella's forehead, and then jogged out of the room.

"You too, Jack," Lucille continued. "There's a shower in the guest bathroom. Get a move on."

"Yes, ma'am." He saluted her smartly, and she whacked him on the backside as he passed her.

She watched him disappear around the corner, and when she looked back at Gabriella, she was staring into her teacup. There were tears glistening in her eyes.

"Honey, what's wrong? You know we were just teasing."

Gabriella shook her head as if to clear it. "I know. I was just thinking… Daddy used to do that when Mom ordered him around."

Lucille squeezed her hand. "I wish I could've met him."

"Me too." Gabriella set her cup down on the coffee table. "Lucille, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you ever dream about your parents?"

Lucille leaned back into the couch cushions and twisted her lips thoughtfully. "Once in awhile. Not as much as I used to. After my mother died, I dreamed about both of them a lot."

"I've been dreaming about my dad a lot in the past few weeks," Gabriella confessed. "Since I found out about _Abuelita_."

"It's normal, once you start thinking about losing someone you love, to remember others who are already gone," Lucille told her. "Have you told Troy about your dreams?"

Gabriella looked down at her hands. "No. I mean, Troy is wonderful and supportive, but I'm not sure he understands why it bothers me like it does."

Lucille nodded. "He's never dealt with losing someone close to him. My father died shortly after Jack and I were married, and my mom died when Troy was only two."

"What about Jack's dad?"

"He was around a lot when Troy was little, but then he was sick for a long time before he died. In a way, his death was a relief, because we knew he wasn't suffering anymore. We said our goodbyes long before he took his final breath."

"At least I didn't have to watch Daddy suffer like that. He went quickly." She swiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Lucille insisted. "It's not easy to lose a parent, no matter how young or old you are. Besides, you've got crazy pregnancy hormones added to the mix." She chuckled. "When I was pregnant with Troy, I cried at the drop of a hat. I remember crying once because Jack wouldn't go out in the middle of the night to get me Chinese food."

Gabriella giggled. "Did he finally cave in and go?"

"No. I finally got mad enough to go get it myself. But boy, did he hear about it the next day!"

"Kelly and I went to see a movie a couple weeks ago, and I cried at least four or five times during the film," Gabriella confessed.

"Was it a sad movie?"

"No! It was a romantic comedy!"

They both laughed, and then Lucille squeezed her daughter-in-law's hand. "You've always got somebody to talk to. Just remember that, okay?"

"I will, Lucille. Thanks."

...~«ώ»~...

Later that day, Troy and Gabriella drove his parents to the airport for their return flight to Albuquerque. They lingered outside the security checkpoint, putting off their goodbyes as long as possible.

"The next time we see you, this little one will be out and ready to meet the world," Lucille told Gabriella, touching the side of her abdomen.

"And you'll be a grandma," Troy added with a grin.

"A very _proud _grandma!" she replied, squeezing Gabriella's arm. "Don't forget, I'm just a phone call away."

"Thank you," Gabriella answered as she reached out to hug her mother-in-law. "I'm so glad you guys could spend Christmas here with us."

"Me too." Lucille released her daughter-in-law and reached for her son. "It was good to see you, Troy."

"Good to see you too, Mama. Thanks for everything." He released her and kissed her on the cheek before turning to his father. "And Dad, I'll see you in a few weeks!"

"Wouldn't miss it," Jack grinned as he hugged his son.

After learning that Troy would be traveling to Los Angeles in January for a medical conference, Gabriella and Lucille had made arrangements for Jack to spend the weekend there with him. The men were excited that they would be going to a Saturday evening Lakers game. That, along with Jack's plane ticket to L.A., had been their main Christmas gift from their wives.

"Gabriella, take care of yourself and your precious cargo."

"I will, Jack." She hugged him. "Have a safe trip."

"We plan to." He reluctantly stepped back and offered Troy one more handshake.

"We love you guys," Lucille called as they moved through the security gate.

"Love you, too," Troy answered with a wave. He and Gabriella stood and watched until his parents were out of sight, and then he pulled her into his side and kissed her forehead. "And I love _you, _Mrs. Bolton."

She smiled and tipped her head back so he could kiss her lips. He happily obliged, but was quickly interrupted by an insistent jab against his hip.

"Hey," he protested, palming Gabriella's abdomen in the spot where the baby's foot had just been. "New rule, little one. No interrupting while I'm kissing your mother."

Gabriella giggled. "Good luck enforcing that one."

"Gotta show the kid who's boss," Troy teased. "As a matter of fact, I think I'll keep that rule in place even after the baby's born."

"I like that," she answered. "I think our kids should know just how much I love their father."

"Deal," he agreed. He leaned down to kiss her again, and they both laughed when the baby kicked between them. "Kiddo, you've got a lot to learn."

...~«ώ»~...

Troy knocked on the bedroom door. "Sweetie, can I come in? I need to get my cufflinks."

"Just a minute," she called in response. A few moments later, the door opened a few inches, and Gabriella handed him the cufflinks. She started to shut the door again, but he stuck his foot in the opening.

"Is there anything I can do to help you get ready?" he offered. "It doesn't usually take you this long…"

"I'm not usually 15 months pregnant, either!"

He chuckled. "I think you need to check your math, babe. Thirty-two weeks is the beginning of your eighth month…"

The door suddenly swung open, and Gabriella faced him with hands on hips. "Do you have a point? Because while you're standing here calculating how far along I am, I could be getting dressed!"

Troy raised his hands in surrender, but couldn't stop the amused grin that spread across his face. She was wearing his bathrobe—hers no longer fit—and her small frame was drowning in the large garment.

"I'm glad my condition is so amusing to you." With a roll of her eyes, Gabriella spun on her heel and retreated into the master bathroom.

He took a moment to school his features and then followed her. She was sitting on the closed lid of the toilet with a bottle of nail polish, a bottle of nail polish remover, and several wadded-up tissues beside her. He sat down on the edge of the tub and touched her leg.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? You usually love getting dressed up and going out."

She sighed. "I'm tired of being pregnant."

"I'm sure you are, and I won't pretend to understand how you feel, because I have no idea." He smiled cautiously. "Frankly, if it was me, I would've given up about six months ago."

She smiled, just as he'd hoped. "You would've given up after a day or two of morning sickness."

He feigned hurt. "Hey, I'm not _that _bad!" She tipped her head in challenge, and he acquiesced. "Okay, fine. I _am _that bad, and which is one more reason why _you_ deserve that 'Who's Your Hero?' award tonight. But please tell me that you're not planning to accept it wearing my bathrobe."

Gabriella looked down at her hands, and then raised her eyes to meet his. "Promise not to laugh?"

"I promise."

"I can't reach my toes anymore. I'm wearing open-toed shoes, and my toenails look awful."

She looked so serious that Troy had to bite his lip to keep from chuckling. Instead, he lifted one of her feet into his lap and reached for the nail polish remover. He blotted away her failed work and then picked up the bottle of nail polish.

"I'm not very good at this," he warned.

"If we have a girl, you'll have to learn sooner or later," Gabriella pointed out. "It might as well be sooner."

He didn't reply as he bit his lip and set to work. It wasn't nearly as difficult as he'd expected, and when he finished that foot, he held her heel and blew on the wet polish.

"That tickles," she said softly. Her voice was breathy, and he was surprised to look up into smoldering brown eyes.

"Sorry." He wasn't sorry at all. While her foot was still in his lap, he slid his hands up under the robe to massage her calf. His thumbs skimmed across the sensitive flesh on the back of her knee, and she shivered in response. Her foot came in contact with his groin, and his body reacted. He realized with great disappointment that this was not the time to start something he couldn't finish. He reluctantly lowered her leg to the floor and lifted her other one. She watched silently, heatedly, as he repeated his actions. His hand wasn't quite steady as he fought the primal urge to lift her onto his lap and plunge inside her. Finally, he managed to accomplish his task and lower her other leg.

"There you go," he rasped.

"Thank you." She leaned forward, deliberately letting the robe fall open. "I'll try to think of a way to repay you when we get home."

Troy stood up and adjusted his trousers, trying his best not to look at his wife's bare skin. "I… uh… I'd better go so you can… um… finish getting dressed."

"Give me fifteen minutes, and then I'm all yours," she answered.

Troy strode out of the bathroom, knowing—and hating—that it was the only way they would make it to the awards banquet that night.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy glanced at his cell phone once more, slid it into his pocket, and tugged at his tie.

"Honey, come on! You said fifteen minutes, and it's been thirty. We're going to be late!"

Troy was already nervous enough about the little surprise he'd arranged. Timing was critical, and Gabriella's uncharacteristically long prep time threatened to destroy his carefully planned timetable.

"Gabriella!"

"I'm ready," she announced as the bedroom door opened. She wore a long black dress with a beaded halter-style neckline and crisscrossed back straps. The material was ruched along her breasts, and then fell freely to the floor, skimming loosely over her swollen abdomen. Her hair was pinned in a loose knot, with curly tendrils framing her face.

"I feel like there's enough fabric here to make a tent," she admitted self-consciously, pulling at the material.

A wicked grin spread across Troy's face, and he took a few steps toward her. "For the record, I'd be more than happy to set up camp under there for the rest of the night, but that'll have to wait." He took her hands, pulled them away from her body, and looked her up and down approvingly. Then he gave her a soft kiss. "You look beautiful, baby. I mean it. I'll be the envy of every man there tonight."

"Thank you," she replied, running her hands up his arms. "I think you've got it backwards, though. I'll be the envy of every _woman _there, on the arm of such a handsome and charming man."

"I only have eyes for you, gorgeous." He tugged at his tie again, and Gabriella moved his hands aside to fix it. When she finished, he circled her waist and pulled her close. She smiled up at him.

"Weren't you saying something about being late?" she teased.

He let out a tortured groan and gave her a quick squeeze before releasing her. "I'd much rather keep you all to myself, but you have an award to accept." He offered his arm. "It's my honor to escort San Francisco's prettiest hero."

She blushed and accepted his arm, but stopped him when he took a step. "I may be the one receiving the award, but as far as I'm concerned, you're the real hero here." He started to shake his head, but she palmed his cheek. "I'm serious, Troy. You paint my toenails, and fix me breakfast in bed on Saturday mornings. You leave notes for me on the bathroom mirror and sing me love songs. You love me and take care of me and share your life with me. In my eyes, that makes you heroic. I'm really lucky to be your wife."

For a few moments, he was speechless. Then, not caring a bit whether they were late, or whether he messed up her makeup, he covered her mouth with his and kissed her breathless.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy was up to something. He was trying his best to act nonchalant as they walked into the banquet hall, but Gabriella knew him well enough to see through it. He liked to surprise her, and she'd learned long ago that it was best not to ask questions or point out his odd behavior. So she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and followed him through the maze of elegantly decorated tables to an empty one near the front. He indulgently pulled out her chair and seated her, and she pretended not to notice while he whispered to the event host who'd seated them. After a few moments, the older man excused himself, and Troy took his seat next to Gabriella.

"This place is beautiful," he commented, looking around at the elaborate chandeliers, lavish floral arrangements, and plush décor.

"It is," she agreed. She opened her program and skimmed through the names. "I wonder if they're here yet. The Ramirez family, I mean. Do you think they'll bring their daughter? I hope she's okay. What if they decided not to come? Oh my gosh… what if…?"

"Hey." Troy stopped her with a hand on her arm. "They'll be here. Quit worrying."

She chewed on her bottom lip. "I guess I'm just a little nervous."

"I hadn't noticed," he teased.

Gabriella made a face at him and glanced back down at the program. "I'm starving… when is dinner service supposed to start?"

He laughed at her abrupt change of subject and picked up his program. "Dinner service starts at 7:00, but they're serving hor d'oeuvres for ten more minutes. Would you like for me to go get something for you?"

"That would be great. I'll have one of everything."

"Your wish is my command, milady." He stood, turned around… and then sat back down. A huge grin split his face.

"Troy, what…?"

"Pardon me, ma'am, but is this seat taken?"

Gabriella turned toward the woman's voice and nearly fell on the floor.

"_Mom? _Mom!" She squealed and stood, knocking her chair backwards, and threw her arms around her mother. "Mamá, what are you doing here? How did you even know…?"

It didn't take long for her to figure it out, and she turned back to Troy. "You did this, didn't you?"

"Guilty," he agreed happily.

"Oh, Troy…" She hugged him, and then turned back to her mother.

"I'm glad Troy told me about your award, since you haven't mentioned it," Maria told her. There was no reprimand in her voice, just humor.

Gabriella's lips twisted guiltily. "You've had enough on your mind, taking care of _Abuelita_. How's she doing?"

"She's fine, _m'ija_. Resting as comfortably as can be expected."

"I'm glad you could make it, Maria," Troy told her, squeezing past Gabriella to hug his mother-in-law.

"Me, too. It's been almost six months since I came to San Francisco. I figured that I was overdue for a visit."

"How long can you stay?" Gabriella asked cautiously.

"Well, that depends." Maria tapped her fingers on her face as if she was considering her options.

"On what?"

"On whether you'll get tired of me being here for five days."

"Five days?!" Gabriella practically shrieked. "You're staying here for five days?" She couldn't remember the last time Maria had allowed for such a long visit. She looked at Troy incredulously, but the grin on his face told her that he'd already heard the news.

"That's right," Maria assured her. "I'll be leaving on January 2nd." She put her hand up. "Now, don't worry, I know that New Year's Eve is a special night for you two, so I'll make myself scarce so that you can celebrate privately. The hotel where I'm staying is having a New Year's Eve party, and who knows? I just might meet someone special like you guys did twelve years ago."

Gabriella was at a loss for words, but Troy moved closer, laying warm hands on his wife's bare shoulders. "Thank you, Maria. That's very kind of you."

Maria smiled. "I've started working on my New Year's resolutions early. I'm trying to be kinder, and to keep my priorities in the right order." She patted Gabriella's hand. "Besides, we've got a lot of catching up to do—going shopping for the baby, decorating, and… well, just spending time together."

"That sounds wonderful, Mom," Gabriella said earnestly. "I can't wait."

Maria palmed her daughter's midsection. "And how's this little one doing?"

"Fine," Gabriella answered. "Growing like crazy. I feel enormous."

"Nonsense," Maria scolded. "You look lovely. My precious little girl has grown into a beautiful woman."

"I couldn't agree more," Troy put in. Gabriella smiled back at him. "Now if you ladies will excuse me, I need to go get some appetizers for my wife. Maria, can I get you anything?"

"A glass of white wi…" Maria stopped and glanced at the table. "What are you drinking, _m'ija_?"

"Water."

Maria returned her attention to Troy. "Water will be just fine for me too. Thank you."

He nodded and left, and the women sat down.

"I'm so glad you're here, Mom. What a wonderful surprise!"

"It was Troy's idea, but I have to confess, I've been so looking forward to this trip that keeping it secret from you has been pure torture!"

"I knew he was up to something, but I had no idea it was anything like this!"

"He's a good man, Gabi." Maria chewed on her lip before continuing. "I've given him a hard time this year, and… it was unfair. Despite the way I've treated him, he set up the video call with your grandmother, and invited me here, because he knew it would make you happy. He puts you first, and that's… that's something I haven't done often enough lately. I couldn't have chosen a better man for you, or a better father for my grandchild."

Gabriella took her mother's hand. "Thank you. I can't tell you how much it means to hear you say that, Mom. You and Troy are the two most important people in my life, and I want you guys to get along, like you used to. Especially with the baby coming soon."

Maria leaned forward to hug her daughter. "You're going to be a wonderful mother, m'ija. And I'm going to be the proudest grandmother in the world."

"You might have to compete with Lucille for that title," Gabriella smiled. She touched her stomach. "_Abuelita_ was right… this baby is going to be surrounded with love."

...~«ώ»~...

After dinner, the emcee took the stage to begin the awards ceremony. Gabriella's nerves returned, and she scanned the room while nervously tapping her fingers on the table. Troy took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to our 26th annual 'Who's Your Hero?' Awards, made possible through the generosity the Martin L. Campbell Endowment and the 'Who's Your Hero?' Foundation. This year, we received nearly a thousand nominations, from which we have selected our 25 award recipients. These men and women represent the very best of the San Francisco Bay Area."

"To present each award winner, we'll first invite the person or people who nominated them to the stage to share their story. The award winner will then come up to accept his or her award, and say a few words if they wish to do so. We will take them into the next room to be photographed, and then they may rejoin their families in the banquet room."

"To present our first award, please welcome Ms. Lucy Bowman."

A young woman teetered onto the stage in sky-high heels and approached the microphone.

"I nominated Sean for this award because…"

The sound of her voice faded as Gabriella spotted a young couple moving into position next to the stage. In his arms, the man carried a little girl. _There they were! _She stared at the child, barely recognizing her. Her long curls were gone, replaced by short, thin wisps of re-growing hair. Her face was thin, and Gabriella sucked in a breath when she saw the braces on her legs. At that moment, the audience began to applaud as a young man bounded onstage to accept his award. He hugged the woman and took the microphone, but Gabriella couldn't hear anything he said over the pounding of her heart.

"Hey." Troy turned her to face him, and she gathered her wits enough to see the concern on his face. "What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"

Maria was watching also worriedly, and Gabriella shook her head to clear the whirlwind in her mind.

"I… I'm okay," she stammered. Troy tilted his head, unspoken questions evident. She leaned closer to him and subtly pointed out the family next to the stage. "She… look, Troy, she's not okay. How can they give me an award when their daughter's injuries are… so serious? I can't go up there…"

"Gabriella." He watched her intently, waiting until her dark eyes focused on him. "Brain injuries take a long time to heal. It's only been a few months since the accident. Their little girl is _alive_, and that's what they're here to celebrate. Okay?"

She nodded, though she didn't completely believe that he was right. She forced herself to breathe slowly as the announcer stepped back up to the microphone.

"Our next presenters are Hector and Sofia Ramirez and their daughter, Isabella."

Gabriella felt her body tense again, and Troy mouthed a reminder to _breathe._

Sofia Ramirez took the microphone and unfolded the paper in her hand. "On September 8th, in the midst of a terrible argument, my brother took my van with my daughter inside and disappeared. For four torturous hours, we waited helplessly as the police searched for him. Then the police told us that there had been a terrible accident. My brother had hit several other cars, and then rolled down an embankment into a ravine. He was thrown from the van, and Isabella was trapped inside, still strapped in her car seat. Gabriella Bolton and her husband came upon the scene, and while he tended to the other injured drivers, Mrs. Bolton heard my baby's cries and went looking for her. She found the van and rescued Isabella. The ravine was so steep, and my daughter was so badly injured, that the paramedics had to bring them up with a winch. The whole time, Mrs. Bolton held Isabella's life in her hands. My daughter had suffered a skull fracture, and Mrs. Bolton stabilized the wound, holding her hand there until the paramedics loaded them into the ambulance. The doctors told us that, without question, Mrs. Bolton saved Isabella's life."

Troy squeezed Gabriella's shoulder and winked when she looked back at him. Maria gazed at her proudly.

"Isabella has had three surgeries in two months, and was released from the hospital a few weeks ago. She now attends outpatient rehab five times a week to help her with physical and cognitive skills that were affected by the accident. It will take her a long time to recover, but the doctors are optimistic that she will eventually be a normal, healthy little girl. There's no way to adequately thank Mrs. Bolton for saving our daughter's life. Despite the challenges we face, we are grateful for every day of Isabella's life. And so this well-deserved award is presented from our family to Mrs. Gabriella Bolton."

Gabriella pushed back her chair and stood as the audience cheered around her. When she made her way onstage, Sofia Ramirez grabbed her into an enthusiastic hug. When she finally let go, Hector hugged her, and then Gabriella leaned down to get a better look at Isabella. She looked like a little angel, blinking up at the woman in front of her. The emcee handed Gabriella a plaque that identified her as an award winner, and then scooted her forward towards the microphone.

She swallowed nervously. "Thank you to the 'Who's Your Hero?' Foundation for hosting this incredible night, and to the Ramirez family for honoring me with this award. I wouldn't feel right, though, taking all the credit. There were many heroes there that night. My husband, Troy, is a doctor. He triaged the accident scene and saved at least two lives. There was a young man, a medical student, named Nathan. He helped free people who were trapped in their cars. And his friend blocked traffic to keep more drivers from getting hurt. There were police officers and EMS workers and just regular people who got out of their cars to help any way they could. So I want to share this award with them, and with all of the everyday heroes who do things, big or small, to make someone's life a little better."

There was another round of applause from the audience, and she glanced over to see both Troy and her mom on their feet, clapping enthusiastically. She was surprised to realize that there were others standing as well.

"This way, ma'am," the emcee told her. She followed the Ramirez family off the stage, and, with one last incredulous glance at the crowd, she was escorted out of the room.


	59. New Year's Eve

**SWEET DREAMS, FRAGILE HEARTS  
****Chapter 59—New Year's Eve**

**A/N: This chapter is rated M.**

Gabriella leaned forward, trying to knead away the pain in her lower back. Beside her, Sofia Ramirez touched her arm and tilted her head quizzically. _Are you okay? _Sofia mouthed, and Gabriella nodded. She fidgeted in her seat, trying to get comfortable, but finally gave up.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," she said. Sonja Ferrente looked up from the legal document she'd been explaining to Hector and Sofia. "I need to take a break."

"Go ahead, honey," Sonja nodded. "We're fine here."

Gabriella pushed back her chair, stood, and stretched. Glancing toward the front of the Legal Aid office, she decided to go check on Maria, who was sitting in the waiting area with little Isabella. She sighed. This wasn't how she'd planned to spend the afternoon with her mom. After the 'Who's Your Hero?' banquet, Hector and Sofia had Maria and the Boltons to Sunday lunch. There, the couple had told them about their mounting legal and medical bills, and the problems they were having with their insurance company with regard to the accident that had killed Sofia's brother and injured several others, including Isabella. Gabriella had volunteered to look into their case, which was what had brought them together again at the Legal Aid office on Monday. Gabriella believed that they were not receiving fair compensation, and she had set up a meeting with Sonja Ferrente to discuss legal action.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, Gabriella went to the waiting area and sat down next to her mother. Maria looked up from the book she'd been reading to Isabella and smiled.

"I'm so sorry, Mom. I had no idea that it would take this long. Sonja's very thorough."

"It's okay, _m'ija_. Don't worry about us. We're getting along great." She bounced the little girl on her knee. "Aren't we, Isabella?" The girl nodded solemnly. "In fact, after we finish this book, we might just take a walk to the drugstore down the block."

"That's a good idea," Gabriella replied with a smile. "They have ice cream there, but I'll bet Isabella doesn't like ice cream."

Isabella's brow wrinkled adorably. "Yes, I do!"

"You do?" Gabriella teased. "You'll really like the ice cream flavors they have, then. There's fried worm ice cream, and mud puddle ice cream…"

"Eww!" Isabella answered. "I don't like that! I like chocolate."

"I like chocolate too," Maria inserted. "We'll just stick with that."

Isabella nodded and returned her attention to the book.

"We should be finished soon," Gabriella told Maria. "Why don't you just wait at the drugstore, and we'll meet you there."

"Okay," Maria agreed before looking back down at the book. "All right, Miss Isabella, where were we?"

Gabriella pushed to her feet and headed back to the consultation room. She'd been pleased to learn, after spending time with Isabella after the banquet, that her injuries were not as severe as she'd feared. The little girl still faced physical therapy, but her cognitive functions were nearly back to normal. She was an adorable little girl, and Maria had bonded with her while the two couples had discussed legal matters the day before.

"I'll file these papers this afternoon," Sonja was saying as Gabriella returned to her seat, "but we probably won't hear anything until Wednesday, since tomorrow is a holiday. Don't worry, though. I think we've got a good case. I'll give you a call as soon as I have more information."

"We can't thank you enough," Hector told her, standing and reaching over the desk to shake her hand.

"And you too, Gabriella," Sofia added. "You've been such a great blessing to our family."

Gabriella blushed. "Thank you. I'm so glad I was able to help."

Hector and Sofia gathered their belongings, and Sonja came around the desk to give Gabriella a hug.

"You take care of yourself and that sweet little baby," she told her. "And you'd better stop by after it's born so we can all see it."

"I will," Gabriella promised. "Thanks for your help."

"Anytime, _amiga_. Goodbye!"

…..~«ώ»~…..

Troy held Gabriella's hand as she led him towards the restaurant she'd chosen for New Year's Eve dinner. When they reached the door, he held it open for her and used the opportunity to take another look at her backside. She was wearing a black and white wrap dress with heels, but unlike many of her maternity garments, this dress clung to her curves, showing off her breasts, hips, legs, backside and belly. He was pretty sure she'd worn that dress to torture him, and it was clearly working. Despite Gabriella's claim that she was 'huge', most people would never guess that she was less than eight weeks away from delivering. In Troy's opinion, she was the most beautiful pregnant woman on the planet.

"Troy?"

Gabriella's soft voice pulled Troy out of his reverie, and he realized that he was still holding the door open.

"Sorry, babe. I got distracted."

She shook her head. "If this dress isn't enough to hold your attention, then I give up."

"That dress—and the gorgeous woman in it—is what distracted me," he clarified, sliding his arm around her waist. "You're making it very hard for me to concentrate, when all I want to do is…"

His hand started moving downward, and she scooted away from him as her cheeks flamed.

"Troy!" she hissed. "Behave yourself!"

He put up his hands in surrender. "Only while we're in public, sweetheart. Once we get home, I fully intend to misbehave!"

She crossed her arms. "Who says we're going home anytime soon? I'm in charge of this date, remember? You don't know what kind of tricks I have up my sleeve."

"Well, I see what the first one is," he grinned, nodding toward the sign on the door behind her. "'Singing in the New Year!' It looks like we'll be doing some karaoke tonight."

Gabriella's lips formed a cute pout. "Are you making fun of me?"

Troy chuckled. "Not at all! I'd be honored to sing with you, just like I did twelve years ago."

Her smile returned, and she took his hand again. "Come on."

A few moments later, they were following the hostess, and Troy's eyes were back on his wife's figure. He looked up when the hostess stopped, and was surprised to see Mark and Kelly already seated at their table.

"Hey, guys!" he greeted enthusiastically.

"Great to see you!" Mark stood and shook Troy's hand, and then leaned in to kiss Gabriella's cheek.

Kelly gave Troy a quick hug and then turned her attention to Gabriella. "Wow! Look at you, hot stuff! You look fantastic!"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Don't act so surprised. You practically forced me to buy this dress!"

"Well, you wore it," Kelly argued. "I was afraid you wouldn't. Troy, what do you think?"

"She is stunning," he answered easily. "I'm going to have some jealous guys eyeing me tonight."

"Me too," Mark added, nodding towards his wife. Kelly was dressed more casually, in tight jeans and a low-cut tunic.

"You look great, Kel," Troy agreed as he pulled out Gabriella's chair.

Once the foursome was seated, Troy turned to Mark. "So, Mark, are we going to be ringing in the New Year with you two?"

"I don't think so. See, after we eat dinner and do some karaoke, we're heading over to… OW!" Mark frowned at his wife. "What are you kicking me for?"

"Gabi planned their date," Kelly reminded him. "You're not supposed to tell him what they're doing!"

"He already saw the karaoke sign on the door," Gabriella told them. "And to answer your question, Troy, no, we're not spending the whole evening with them. By midnight, you and I will be alone, in a much more… intimate… setting." She squeezed his thigh under the table to underscore her point.

"Mark and I are going to the Chisoko NYE Music Festival at Golden Gate Park tonight," Kelly added. "A friend of my brother works for the festival's PR firm, so he gave Kevin and Becky tickets. They decided not to drive down, so they passed them on to us."

"I remember reading about that," Gabriella commented. "It's a new festival, right?"

"Yeah," Mark nodded. "It's kind of a grunge-rock-punk-reggae-hippie kind of vibe."

"That narrows it right down," Troy teased.

"Whatever, dude," Mark countered. "The headlining band, Aapla, is already generating Grammy buzz."

"Never heard of them," Troy told him.

"Seriously? Man, you should totally come with us! We have extra tickets, and you can still… OW!" Mark glared at Kelly, but she seized the opportunity to redirect the conversation.

"How's it going with your mom, Gabi?" she asked.

"Really well," Gabriella answered with a smile. "She seems like her old self again, don't you think, Troy?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "She helped me paint trim in the baby's room yesterday afternoon, and cooked us a really nice meal last night."

"And she left you two alone to celebrate New Year's." Kelly reached across the table to touch her friend's arm. "I'm so happy for you, honey. It's been a long time coming."

"Yes, it has."

The server came to take their orders then, and while they waited for their dinner, they looked over the karaoke song list. They decided that it would be more fun for each couple to choose a song for the other couple to sing, and soon they were all laughing as they made one ridiculous suggestion after another. By the time their food was served, they had finalized their choices and signed their names on the karaoke board by the stage.

"This is delicious," Troy commented after a few forkfuls.

"I think we can see what's on Troy's mind," Kelly observed. "Look at that—salmon, figs, almonds, and arugula."

Mark gave Kelly a weird look. "So?"

"So, those are all known aphrodisiacs," she answered with a wink in Gabriella's direction.

"Kelly, the only aphrodisiac I need is the dress my wife is wearing," Troy countered with a grin.

"You're totally making that up," Mark protested to Kelly.

"I am not," she argued. To prove it, she pulled out her phone. Instead of connecting to the internet, though, she opened her e-mail. "Hold on, I got a news alert." She read it to herself and then frowned. "There are unconfirmed reports of injuries at the Chisoko Festival."

"Injuries?" Mark repeated doubtfully. "How do a bunch of people standing out in a field listening to music get injured? Quit playing around, Kel."

"I'm not," she insisted, thumbing her screen. "It says there's a news crew on the way."

"I hope it's not too serious," Gabriella said. "There are several thousand people there."

"Don't listen to her, Gabi. She's just yanking our chains…" Mark trailed off as his pager vibrated on his hip. A moment later, Troy's pager went off as well.

"Code Triage: Alert," Troy read aloud. "Stand by."

"What does that mean?" Gabriella asked.

"It means that there _is _something going on at the festival," Kelly answered somberly. "UCSF is only a couple miles away from the park." She continued to search her phone, but there was very little information available.

"Maybe the hospital's just doing a drill," Mark guessed.

"On New Year's Eve?" Troy scoffed. "I don't think so."

"Why would they page you guys?" Kelly wondered. "You're not on call tonight, are you?"

The men shook their heads, and, with the jovial mood gone, the foursome ate in silence for a few minutes. Kelly checked her phone again and grimaced.

"Now it says 'structure collapse.'"

"What structure…?" Mark began. His buzzing pager cut him off. Beside him, Troy's and Kelly's pagers sounded as well.

"Code Triage: External," Troy read. "MCI. EOP activated. All surgeons and support staff report."

"The hospital has activated the Emergency Operations Plan," Kelly explained to Gabriella grimly. "Whatever happened, it's big."

"What does MCI mean?" Gabriella asked as Mark flagged down the server and asked for their bill.

Troy put his arm around her. "Mass casualty incident. I'm sorry, sweetie, but I have to go." He pulled the car keys out of his pocket and laid them on the table. "I'll ride with Mark and Kelly; you take the car and go home."

"But Troy…" she started to argue.

"Gabriella." He took her hands and looked into her eyes. "We don't know what's going on, or how bad it is. Please, just go home. You'll be safe there."

Her eyes widened. "Please, be careful," she whispered.

"I will, I promise." He stood, pulled her to her feet, and wrapped her in an embrace. "I'll call you as soon as I can, okay?"

She nodded against his shoulder, and he knew she was fighting back tears.

"Troy, let's go," Mark called.

She pulled back to look up at him.

"I love you," she choked out.

"I love you too," he answered. Then he kissed her quickly, turned, and followed his friends out the door.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella sat in stunned silence, struggling to understand what had just happened. Tears burned her eyes, but she fought them back stubbornly. Sure, she was disappointed that the date she'd planned was ruined, but more importantly, she was worried about Troy. Though he'd participated in several mass casualty drills, he'd never had to deal with real trauma on such a large scale.

"Excuse me, ma'am…"

She looked up to see the server watching her nervously.

"Would you like to finish your meal now, or should I wrap it up for you to take home?"

Gabriella swallowed hard. She'd lost her appetite.

"Go ahead and wrap it up." Gabriella looked around the table. "Actually, could you wrap up all of our meals? And I'll take our check."

"The bill has already been taken care of by the gentleman from your party," the young woman told her.

"Okay… thank you."

She kept her head down, knowing that the diners around her were watching and wondering why she'd suddenly been abandoned by everyone at her table. When the server returned with four carryout boxes, Gabriella thanked her, laid a couple of bills on the table, and stood to leave. A man stepped up to the microphone on the small stage near the back of the restaurant.

"All right, folks, it's time to kick off our 'Singing in the New Year' spectacular. First up, please welcome Troy and Gabriella Bolton."

Gabriella squeezed her eyes shut. She knew she should tell the announcer that her duet partner was gone, but she couldn't bear to draw any more attention to herself. Instead, she gathered her food boxes and left the restaurant.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy stood near the triage area at the hospital, watching grimly as patient after patient was brought in. Many came in ambulances; others were pulled from car backseats and truck beds. It was hard for Troy to stand and watch rather than jumping in to help, but his orders had been clear. He was there to handle Ortho patients _after _they'd gone through triage. Troy was assigned to surgery, so all he could do was wait. He'd already changed into scrubs and secured his wedding ring on the chain from Hawaii that always hung around his neck.

"Bolton!" He looked up to see Dr. Overman rushing towards him. "You're with me—we've got a critical leg wound with femoral artery bleed. She's being prepped for surgery now."

Troy nodded and fell into step with his mentor. "What do we know?"

"23-year-old female," Dr. Overman told him. "It's a compound fracture with possible severed femoral artery and major tissue damage. It's a miracle that she didn't bleed to death before she got here."

"What else do we have coming in?"

"We have several more critical patients on the way—severe damage and possible amputations. The second wave will be the bone fractures, which the junior residents will handle while the rest of us are in surgery." The two men stepped onto an elevator, and Dr. Overman stared at Troy grimly. "I'm afraid we're in for a very long night."

...~«ώ»~...

When Gabriella pulled into the driveway at home, she was surprised to see her mother's rental car there. Maria was sitting in the car, waiting, and when she saw her daughter, she turned off the engine and got out.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Troy called me on the way to the hospital," Maria explained. "He thought you might like some company."

"Sure, but what about the New Year's Eve party at your hotel?"

Maria shrugged. "I'd rather spend the evening with you. Don't worry—when Troy gets home, I'll get lost."

"Okay." Gabriella handed Maria a couple of the carryout boxes and slammed the car door. "But I don't think he's going to make it home before midnight."

"I'm sure he hated cutting your date short to go to work."

Gabriella's nerves were frayed, and she bristled. "Are you criticizing Troy for leaving me to go to the hospital?"

"Of course not, honey. He didn't really have a choice." Maria touched her arm. "Have you heard any more about what happened?"

"They were talking about it on the radio," Gabriella answered. "It was a music festival at Golden Gate Park. Apparently, the main sound tower collapsed into the crowd."

"How awful."

Gabriella shivered, and Maria eased the keys out of her hands. "Come on, m'ija. Let's go inside and get you into some warmer clothes."

Gabriella nodded, and numbly followed her mom into the house.

...~«ώ»~...

Troy was living a nightmare. At least, that was how it felt. He stripped off his bloody surgical gown, washed his hands, and held out his arms to receive a new gown. The scrub nurse fastened the gown and offered him a new pair of gloves just as a new patient was wheeled into the operating room. He'd worked with Dr. Overman for the first few surgeries, but now each man was in his own operating room. While the anesthesiologist began to put the patient under, Troy took a few moments to read through the man's chart and look at his x-rays.

"Okay, we have a 25-year-old male with multiple fractures," he told the surgical staff. "We're going to set and cast his arm first, and then see what we can do with the clavicle."

The junior resident who was assisting him looked over Troy's shoulder at the x-rays. "It's broken into three pieces. How are we going to fix that?"

"We'll have to reattach it to the scapula and sternum, and then put pins in to hold it together," Troy answered. "That's why we're setting the arm first. Once we get the clavicle done, we'll need to completely immobilize his shoulder and arm."

"He's going to be in a _lot _of pain."

"Yeah," Troy agreed, looking around the operating room. "Is everybody ready? Okay, let's get to work."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella picked up the remote control and aimed it at the television.

"Mom, do you mind if I turn this off? I can't stand to watch it anymore."

All of the local channels had been running live, continuous news coverage of the tower collapse at Golden Gate Park. The sound tower that had collapsed had been in the middle of the crowd, and had apparently not been anchored properly. The massive speakers and sound equipment had fallen along with the tower, pulling down electrical wires and flinging sections of metal framework in the crowd. There were five confirmed fatalities, and scores of injuries ranging from head trauma to severe burns.

"Go ahead," Maria answered. "I've seen enough."

Gabriella looked at the clock. "It's almost midnight. Troy must be exhausted. He's been up since 5:30 this morning."

"I'm sure he put in a lot of long shifts during his first year of residency," Maria pointed out.

"That's true, I guess." Gabriella yawned.

"Speaking of being exhausted…"

"I'm okay," Gabriella told her. "If Troy finishes before Mark and Kelly, I'll have to go pick him up, so there's no point in going to sleep now."

"Mark's an emergency surgeon, right?" Maria asked. Gabriella nodded. "What does Kelly do?"

"She's a nurse in recovery and post-surgical care."

They fell into silence, and Gabriella watched the clock tick towards midnight. She couldn't help but think about how it would be the first time in twelve years that she'd be doing the New Year's Eve countdown without Troy.

Maria patted her daughter's leg. "I'm sure he's wishing that he could be here with you." Gabriella nodded gratefully. "Do you remember what a big to-do your father used to make on New Year's Eve? Getting everybody outside at midnight to yell and blow horns and ring bells?"

Gabriella laughed at the memory. "We made so much racket that everyone in the neighborhood knew when it was midnight." She looked over at her mother and smiled. "How do you feel about carrying on the Montez family tradition?"

"Let's do it!"

Maria hustled to get pots and wooden spoons from the kitchen, and they'd barely stepped out onto the porch when they heard shouts of 'Happy New Year!' from various parts of the neighborhood. Laughing, they added their voices and noisemakers to the melee. Someone down the street set off fireworks, and the Boltons' next-door neighbor sang an off-key rendition of _Auld Lang Syne _from his porch. Amidst the din, Gabriella pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Troy's number. She waited through his voicemail message, and then cleared her throat.

"_Happy New Year, honey. I know you're busy, but I wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you and wishing you were here. I hope you'll be home soon. I love you, Troy. Bye."_

...~«ώ»~...

Troy stretched, trying to ease his aching muscles, as he waited for his next patient to be anesthetized. He'd lost track of how many patients he'd worked on, and had no concept of how much time had passed. He looked up at the clock and sighed. It was well past 2:00 am. He'd hoped to call Gabriella at midnight, but he'd been so focused on surgery that he'd completely forgotten.

"Good news, Dr. Bolton," the scrub nurse said. "Only one more patient after this one, and we're done!"

"Awesome," he replied. "I'm going to let Dr. Pike take the lead on this one. It's a classic fibula break."

She nodded and helped him put on a new pair of gloves. He started out into the operating room, but turned back when an idea struck him.

"Hey, Meg," he began. "You're not sterile yet, are you?" She shook her head. "Could you grab my phone and type a text for me? It's for my wife."

The scrub nurse grinned. "Of course it is. Hold on." She took his phone off the shelf above the sink and started a new text message as Troy gave her instructions. "Okay, go."

"Happy New Year, baby. I'm sorry we didn't get to finish our date. I promise I'll make it up to you. I love you!"

Meg finished typing, read it back to make sure she had it right, and then pressed Send. She returned the phone to the shelf and turned back to Troy.

"So, where were you supposed to go on your date?"

"I don't know," Troy answered. "Gabriella and I take turns planning for dates that are special to us, and tonight was her turn."

"Why is New Year's Eve special to you?"

"We met on New Year's Eve twelve years ago," he explained. "At a ski resort in Colorado. We've been back there a few times since, but Gabriella can't fly now that she's in her third trimester."

"How sweet!"

Troy nodded and glanced back toward the operating room. The anesthesiologist signaled a thumbs up.

"Okay, back to work."

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella rolled over, turning away from the morning sunlight that was streaming through the bedroom window. For a moment, she thought she'd heard a car in the driveway, but she'd listened and hadn't heard anything further. She'd insisted that Maria go back to her hotel after their midnight celebration, knowing that her mother wouldn't get a good night's sleep on the sofa. Troy had texted earlier to tell Gabriella that he would be home before noon.

She snuggled back into her pillow, breathing in Troy's scent on the sheets. Another sound caught her attention, and she turned toward the door just in time to see Troy coming down the hall.

"Troy!" She scurried out of bed to throw her arms around him.

He held her tightly for a minute, and then pulled back and smiled at her. "Look at you, all rumpled and adorable. And here I thought you'd be waiting up for me all night."

"I tried," she said earnestly. "But once Mom went back to her hotel, I didn't have anything left to help me stay awake."

"Good. I'm glad you got some rest."

"You, on the other hand, look pretty rough." She scraped her fingernails through his whiskers. "It was bad, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. I had to amputate an 18-year-old girl's leg. She's an athlete… _was _an athlete…" He shook his head. "I can't even imagine how I would've handled something like that at 18."

"You were 19 when you tore your ACL," she pointed out.

"That's different. That's an injury that heals. This girl's going to have to spend the rest of her life with only one leg."

Gabriella bracketed his face in her hands. "But thanks to you, Troy, she has a life to live. Right?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "I guess."

She looked up at him sympathetically and led him towards the bedroom. "Come on. You look like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. You need some rest."

"I slept at the hospital," he answered.

"How long?"

"Two or three hours. While I was waiting for Mark to finish up. Kelly had to stay, since she's on post-op. She got some sleep last night, though."

Troy sank down on the edge of the bed wearily and toed off his shoes. His socks came off next, followed by his pants. Then he pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor beside him. Gabriella pulled the cover up over him, circled the bed, and carefully lay down beside him.

"I'm glad you're home, Troy," she said softly.

His only response was an exhaled sigh. He was already asleep.

...~«ώ»~...

Gabriella woke hours later to find that Troy was no longer beside her. For a few moments, she wondered if she'd dreamed his homecoming. But then the bathroom door opened and Troy emerged, dressed only in boxers and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He climbed back into bed, and she twined her legs around his.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Definitely less zombie-like," he answered.

"That's good. I'm not sure how long I'd last in bed with a zombie."

He propped his head up on his hand. "Hey zombies might be good lovers."

"What?!"

A slow grin spread across his face. "They have endless stamina."

She reached for him, sliding her hand down his chest. "But they can't feel anything." Her fingers found her target and stroked him through his boxers. "Can you feel that, Troy?"

"Hell yeah," he grunted. His hand covered hers, and he helped her stroke him. When she pulled down his boxers and took his hard shaft in her hand, he groaned.

"Maybe I'm the zombie," she murmured. "Because I have a sudden urge to eat you."

She slid down his body and flicked her tongue across his tip.

"Baby…"

She closed her lips around him, and he moaned. She worked him slowly, watching the blissful look on his face. His fingers wove through her hair, urging her on. She took more of him in her mouth and gently squeezed the base of his shaft. His grip tightened, and he pushed her down onto him while his hips thrust upward.

"That's right, babe," she cooed. "Make me go down on you."

He sat up to give himself more leverage, instantly into her game. "You don't have a choice," he growled. "You're going to swallow my cock whether you like it or not."

Gabriella knew he would never force himself on her like that, but his forceful words turned her on. She opened wider and took him in farther.

"Look at me," he ordered.

She did, and saw the raw need on his face. Taking a breath, she sucked him hard. He jolted and cried out, pushing her head down onto him. She kept working him, wondering how far he would let her go, until he suddenly moved her off.

"I love your mouth on me, baby," he whispered. "But I need to be inside you."

"Yes," she whispered in return.

He sat up on his knees and pulled her onto his lap. She reached down to align him, but he shook his head.

"Not yet."

"Troy…"

He leaned forward and took her nipple in his mouth, and she nearly screamed from the unexpected pleasure. The stubble on his face rubbed and pricked her skin, but she loved it. The roughness of it, the passion in Troy's touch…

"So good," he mumbled against her breast.

He switched to the other nipple, sucking it hard, and slid a hand down between her legs. Her back arched when his finger found her clitoris and rubbed slow circles around it. The pressure was building, and when she felt the blunt head of Troy's penis against her opening, she closed her eyes in anticipation.

"Gabriella."

She raised her head, and he covered her lips with his. His kiss was exquisite, and she lost herself in it for a few moments, until he pulled away.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love…"

He drove his penis into her without warning, and her body exploded. She cried out as her fingernails dug into his shoulders. When her muscles finally began to relax, she sagged against him.

"I love the look on your face when you come," he murmured. "Especially when you don't know it's about to happen. It's incredible."

"I love you, Troy."

She tightened her arms around his shoulders and lifted herself partially off of him. His fingers tightened on her hips, and he pushed up into her again.

"So tight," he moaned.

"It's yours," she answered. "Take it."

He began to thrust slowly, burying his face in her neck. He licked and nipped her skin, driving her wild. Soon his movements intensified, and Gabriella held onto him as he thrust up into her as hard as he could. She could feel his body tensing, preparing for release…

His teeth sunk into her shoulder, and she came apart in his arms just as he rammed into her one last time. His hips surged forward, forcing him deeper, and he exploded inside her. Hot liquid pooled inside her, and he kept thrusting, kept filling her, until he was completely spent.

He held her, snuggled against his chest, as they both regained their breath. Finally, he eased her off his lap and reached for the tissues to clean her up. When he was finished, they lay spooned together, his front to her back.

"About our date last night," he began.

"Don't worry about it, Troy," she murmured. "This was pretty much how I planned to end the evening."

He leaned forward to kiss her bare shoulder. "In that case, Mrs. Bolton… Happy New Year."


End file.
